A longtime origin of migration across Europe and around the world, Albania is a country that has begun to view its diaspora as a diplomatic tool. Approximately 2.3 million Albanian citizens lived abroad as of 2025, representing nearly half of all Albanian nationals globally, according to the country’s Institute of Statistics.

These and other members of the diaspora—which also includes the descendants of Albanian migrants—have served as intermediaries between Albania and other countries. They have helped advance Albania’s candidacy to join the European Union, grown its economy, and contributed to its international standing. In the United States, Albanian diasporic associations have played a key role in supporting newly arrived migrants, strengthening community ties among Albanians, and maintaining the Albanian language and cultural traditions.  

This role played by the diaspora reflects how global events have led to the emergence of new forms of international diplomacy. Governments increasingly engage in public diplomacy, reaching directly to citizens of other countries rather than interacting exclusively with government officials, often by utilizing technologies including social media. These innovations have altered not only the methods of diplomacy but also its very essence, illustrating how actors beyond the state can influence international relations. Large diasporas have become an additional avenue for governments to achieve their diplomatic goals.

This article showcases the role of the Albanian diaspora in advancing the country’s international priorities, particularly its EU accession ambitions. Albania’s diplomatic approach has integrated diaspora networks into formal and informal policy channels, harnessing individuals’ expertise, visibility, and influence for economic and political ends.

Historical Albanian Migration

Understanding the Albanian diaspora’s role in diplomacy and European integration requires a review of historical migration patterns. During the communist era (1944 to 1990), Albania was politically and economically isolated, with its borders tightly sealed. Only a small number of Albanians were able to leave, often risking imprisonment or death. The usual ways to escape the country, which today has a population estimated at 2.8 million, were by overstaying government-sponsored trips abroad, crossing remote mountains into Greece or Yugoslavia, or even swimming across the Ionian Sea to the Greek island of Corfu or the Shkodra Lake to southern Montenegro. Many of these migrants sought asylum in Western Europe, the United States, or Canada, forming politically active communities. They laid the foundation for the diaspora’s enduring influence in these regions through organized networks that preserved Albanian identity and advocated for national causes.

The post-communist period saw mass emigration driven by persistent poverty, unemployment, weak infrastructure, and underperforming public services. Neighboring Italy and Greece were top destinations, attractive due to their proximity as well as cultural, linguistic, and economic similarities. As of 2024, these two countries remained the top destinations, according to UN estimates.

Large numbers also continued to go to the United States, Canada, and other European countries including Germany and the United Kingdom. This migration produced a resilient, adaptable, and entrepreneurial diaspora, which would later play a significant role in their new home countries and in Albania alike.

Since the 2000s, migration patterns have increasingly reflected the opportunities associated with Albania’s prospective EU membership. The country became an active candidate for accession to the European Union in 2014 and is on pace to join the bloc by 2030. Circular migration and other mobility driven by temporary work schemes and for education have become widespread, even as Albanian emigrants established transnational networks to maintain social, economic, and professional ties with their homeland.

Diaspora Governance in Albania

The Albanian government engaged with the diaspora largely informally throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, primarily through cultural initiatives and political outreach. A more structured approach emerged in the mid-2010s, marking a clear shift that reflected a growing recognition of the diaspora’s economic, political, and developmental potential, particularly in terms of remittances, investment, and transnational networks.

The policy reorientation became visible in 2016 with the adoption of the Policy Document on Engaging Albanian Communities Abroad, followed by national diaspora and migration strategies. Since 2017, the government has enacted a series of laws regulating diaspora relations and reshaped its institutional framework by establishing dedicated bodies, including the State Minister for Diaspora, the National Diaspora Agency, the Diaspora Chamber of Commerce, the Diaspora Development Fund, and the Center for the Study and Publications on Arbëresh—although some of these bodies existed only temporarily. The adoption of Law 16/2018, On Diaspora, institutionalized diaspora governance and integrated diaspora engagement into Albania’s governing agenda.

In parallel, policies have increasingly sought to strengthen emigrants’ political and economic ties. Reforms expanding voting rights for Albanian citizens abroad have enabled their participation in recent elections. While economic engagement has remained more limited, initiatives such as the Diaspora Development Fund signal an emerging effort to channel remittances and entrepreneurial activity into cross-border development. Albania’s approach has focused on formalizing remittance flows, improving institutional coordination, and integrating remittances into broader economic strategies, while still seeking to expand financial inclusion and reduce barriers for migrants sending money home.

Nevertheless, recent institutional changes have altered Albania’s diaspora governance architecture. Bodies including the State Minister for Diaspora have closed, while others have been reorganized. All the same, Albania’s diaspora governance framework reflects a relatively recent but significant policy shift, although it falls short of the diaspora engagement models adopted by other countries.

Diasporas as a Tool of Modern Diplomacy

Diaspora engagement is not solely about individuals abroad maintaining connections to their country of birth or ancestral homeland; as discussed above, the government has sought to mobilize communities to enhance Albania’s international presence, foster economic development, support EU integration, and strengthen bilateral relations with host countries.

The government’s use of diaspora networks illustrates the convergence of multiple complementary frameworks for conceptualizing modern diplomacy.

The first is multi-actor diplomacy, a framework that recognizes that international relations are no longer conducted solely by government officials. The government´s engagement with nonstate actors, including diaspora members, can help them play significant roles shaping policy, influencing public opinion, and fostering transnational networks. The diaspora’s contributions to Albania’s economy, politics, culture, and other areas have always been present, but government involvement can channel these contributions towards certain diplomatic aims.

The second framework is public diplomacy and soft power, as introduced by Joseph Nye. The notion of soft power emphasizes a country’s ability to achieve goals in world politics through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion. As Nye showed, a country’s soft power rests on its resources of culture, values, and policies. Here, the diaspora functions as a critical actor, representing Albania’s culture, values, and achievements abroad, thereby enhancing its soft power and international image.

Third, diaspora engagement theory examines how communities abroad can influence both the countries in which they live and their homelands. Well-established, organized diaspora communities can promote investment, knowledge transfer, and cultural exchange, while simultaneously shaping policy perceptions and reinforcing positive images of Albania internationally.

The Diaspora’s Role in EU Accession

Albania’s ongoing efforts to join the European Union illustrate the strategic importance of engaging the diaspora. Members of the diaspora are among the 91 percent of citizens who support Albania’s EU accession, according to a 2025 Special Eurobarometer survey. While negotiations with EU institutions continue and grow increasingly important, the government has not needed to rely solely on state-to-state diplomacy. Albanians abroad—particularly those with influence in business, technology, culture, and civil society—have served as powerful advocates for the country’s EU accession, highlighting Albania’s reform achievements and potential for European integration.

Diaspora communities contribute to Albania’s EU accession in multiple significant ways. Many diaspora-led nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have promoted governance reforms in Albania by advocating for transparency, the rule of law, and anti-corruption measures, thereby reinforcing Albania’s alignment with EU standards. This focus has been central to diaspora groups’ advocacy since the early stages of Albania’s EU accession bid. NGOs have pushed initiatives to provide policy recommendations, organize workshops on good governance, and facilitate exchanges between Albanian and EU institutions.

An illustration of this direct impact was Albania’s 2025 parliamentary elections, where for the first time Albanian citizens abroad could vote by mail, and nearly 256,000 did so. The ruling Socialist Party, which has worked to ready Albania to join the European Union, won a majority in those elections. This development demonstrated the active engagement of Albanians abroad in shaping national policies and strengthening Albania’s democratic credentials, a key factor in advancing its EU integration. There are also numerous diaspora‑linked civil-society campaigns and movements that are based abroad, which have engaged in legal action and public advocacy on constitutional issues, political accountability, and governance reforms.

Beyond promoting reforms, diaspora members engage in extensive lobbying and networking with policymakers, parliamentarians, and civil-society actors in their countries to raise awareness about Albania’s EU ambitions and ongoing development efforts. These activities are particularly prominent in countries with large Albanian communities, such as Italy and Greece, where diaspora members leverage professional networks, political connections, and community organizations to advocate for Albania’s European trajectory.

Prominent individuals of Albanian origin also enhance the country’s global cultural visibility, serving as informal cultural ambassadors. Figures such as pop star Dua Lipa and actor Jim Belushi exemplify how diaspora influence extends beyond policy to cultural diplomacy. Through international media exposure, philanthropy, and participation in global events, these figures help shape positive perceptions of Albania, highlighting its culture, talent, and modern identity. Their visibility can foster soft power by attracting international attention to Albanian initiatives, from tourism and creative industries to educational and scientific collaborations. In turn, this cultural influence complements formal diplomatic efforts, strengthening Albania’s image as a credible and culturally engaged European partner.

Another concrete example of diaspora figures’ contributions is the recent collaboration between the Albanian government and Mira Murati, an Albanian‑born tech leader. Following a government request, Murati contributed artificial intelligence (AI) tools to align Albania’s legislation with the rights and obligations of EU law. This initiative helped accelerate the country’s accession process by facilitating legal harmonization in a quicker and less costly manner than traditional methods.

These activities amplify Albania’s credibility internationally and signal readiness to fully participate in EU institutions, showcasing the diaspora as an active partner in the country’s European journey.

Economic Contributions of the Diaspora

Economic engagement is a central dimension of the diaspora’s influence, encompassing financial transfers, entrepreneurial activity, and knowledge exchange. Remittances sent to Albania constitute a significant portion of its gross domestic product (GDP): approximately $2.3 billion in 2024, or around 8.4 percent of GDP, according to the World Bank data. This money plays a crucial role in Albania’s economy, representing a significant contribution to household consumption, health care, education, and, in some cases, small business investment. Recipients typically spend the money on basic necessities such as food and clothing, health services, remodeling or building new houses, tuition fees, and similar expenses. In this way, remittances have been mainly used for consumption, rather than to finance investment and development projects. However, evidence suggests that members of the diaspora are shifting their remittance and savings behavior from survival and consumption towards entrepreneurship at home.

Migration-generated entrepreneurship is an increasingly important process because of its growth prospects and potential to make important contributions to development. Because of Albanian migrants’ “double transition” in terms of geographic migration and from socialism to capitalism—specifically the absence of entrepreneurial experience in their homeland during the communist regime—one may think of Albanians as being poorly suited to master entrepreneurship. However, Albanians abroad have succeeded in various entrepreneurial opportunities and have increasingly engaged in a wide range of activities. For example, Albanians in Italy and Greece have established businesses in Albania, contributing to economic development and transnational linkages. Most of these entrepreneurs operate small and medium-sized businesses, but some have established larger enterprises.

Diaspora members also contribute economically through humanitarian and philanthropic initiatives. During crises such as Albania’s 2019 earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic, they provided on-the-ground support, including medical and engineering assistance, as well as remote advisory services. They mobilized resources, shared technical expertise, and organized fundraising campaigns to support recovery efforts. Activities such as these complement entrepreneurship and investment, demonstrating that diaspora engagement strengthens Albania’s development and resilience while enhancing its broader economic impact.

Although there have been repeated warnings that Albania’s emigration trends amount to a brain drain, the diaspora has mitigated some of these negative impacts through circular patterns of movement including brain circulation and return migration. While youth emigration remains a concern, skilled professionals in the diaspora have maintained connections with Albanian universities, research institutions, and companies, facilitating collaborative projects, mentoring young talent, and contributing to institutional modernization. These networks have reinforced Albania’s capacity for development and strengthened international partnerships and knowledge flows. Furthermore, the active involvement of the diaspora has been shown to significantly enhance Albania’s economic diplomacy. Through their professional networks, international business experience, and familiarity with foreign markets, diaspora members can act as informal ambassadors to promote investment, facilitate trade, and expand Albania’s reach into global markets. Initiatives such as the Diaspora Chamber of Commerce exemplify this dynamic. By connecting Albanian entrepreneurs abroad with domestic businesses and investors, the Chamber facilitates cross-border economic partnerships that directly support Albania’s diplomatic objectives and strengthen its influence in global economic arenas. In addition, individuals abroad frequently engage in entrepreneurial initiatives in Albania, including startups, joint ventures, and knowledge transfer, further reinforcing the link between diaspora engagement and economic diplomacy.

In sum, the Albanian diaspora functions as a multifaceted economic and intellectual asset, whose engagement supports growth, innovation, and integration into regional and European markets.

Cultural and Social Impact

Diaspora engagement extends beyond politics and economics to include culture, social influence, and identity preservation. Albanian communities abroad organize cultural events, language schools, and arts programs, showcasing Albania’s heritage and values. They offer local community members the opportunity to experience Albania’s culture without needing to travel there. These initiatives strengthen national identity among diaspora members while simultaneously enhancing Albania’s reputation and fostering intercultural understanding.

A notable example is the Arbëresh community in Italy, settled since at least the 15th century, which has preserved its Albanian-derived language, culture, and traditions. Since 1999, the Italian government has officially recognized the Arbëresh language as belonging to the “ethnic and linguistic minority” of this community. In addition, Albanians in Scandinavian countries have integrated into the economic and social life there, while maintaining an active community. They have established cultural, artistic, youth, and student associations, as well as radio and television channels dedicated to Albania, and engage in numerous activities that promote ties and cooperation between the host countries and Albania. Similarly, the Albanian diaspora in the United States and Canada maintains and promotes cultural traditions while actively participating in a wide range of national artistic initiatives.

Moreover, the diaspora has historically played a pivotal role in advancing several initiatives in Albania. Numerous prominent individuals of Albanian origin have worked with universities, research centers, and academic institutions abroad and contributed significantly to the economic, intellectual, and social development of their societies. Diaspora networks also maintain vibrant community life through cultural, artistic, youth, and student associations, as well as media outlets, which serve as platforms for cultural expression and strengthen ties between Albania and host countries.

For example, a number of Albanian scientists abroad remain involved with activities in Albania. Some serve as distinguished members of the Academy of Sciences of Albania and working-group members of academic and research institutions in Albania. As of this writing, several members of the Academy of Sciences of Albania were working in prestigious universities, research institutions, and hospitals in the European Union and the United States. Several are also involved with establishing new ventures, licensing patents, and providing services such as consulting and technical assistance.

By preserving their linguistic and cultural heritage while engaging in educational, artistic, and social initiatives, Albanian communities abroad enhance national visibility and soft power. Their integration in new countries and active participation in public life reinforce Albania’s image as a modern, dynamic, and capable society, and consolidate the diaspora’s role as a bridge between peoples and nations.

Evolving Diplomacy in the Modern Era

Traditional methods of diplomacy are becoming increasingly outdated and are struggling to keep pace with the economic, social, cultural, and technological developments that shape contemporary societies. Diplomacy has evolved over time; it is no longer conducted solely behind closed doors by senior diplomats, but has become more creative, participatory, and open to diverse actors. Today, knowledge exchange, cultural engagement, financial collaboration, and digital interaction are integral components of diplomatic practice.

As Albania’s experience shows, diaspora communities are a highly promising and underutilized instrument of modern diplomacy. Access to information and global connectivity can enable individuals in the diaspora to play roles once reserved for professional diplomats, serving as intermediaries between their countries of origin and where they now live. While state-to-state diplomacy remains crucial, it can be complemented and enhanced through multi-level, multi-actor interactions, incorporating business leaders, civil society, cultural figures, and diaspora communities.

Government and Diaspora Together

Aware of this potential, Albania has paid growing attention to the diaspora through a more structured policy approach, making a clear shift toward diaspora engagement. Diaspora diplomacy is a promising area that requires further analysis and strategic support; by fostering connections with diaspora communities, policymakers can gain insights into the priorities, experiences, and capacities of those overseas.

Further integrating diaspora networks into Albania’s policy strategies could create tangible opportunities for the country. For example, government-supported programs could encourage diaspora professionals to mentor students, foster diaspora-led investment and entrepreneurship, and support cultural and advocacy initiatives that enhance Albania’s visibility internationally. By leveraging these networks, Albania could enhance institutional capacity, reinforce societal ties, and actively contribute to reforms supporting EU integration and sustainable development. This era of modern diplomacy, centered on diaspora engagement, offers Albania a path to sustainable development, enhanced international standing, and successful European integration.

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