The Albanian diaspora has a traditional dimension. About 200,000 people migrated when the Ottomans conquered the Albanian lands in the 15th century. Later, Albanians moved within the Ottoman territory and held important positions in the Ottoman structures in various places of the Empire. One of the oldest Albanian diasporas is the Arbëresh community in Italy, which still maintains its cultural and linguistic roots. This population is the descendant of those Albanian families who ruled Albania in the 15th century when the Ottomans conquered this area, and they became refugees mainly in the Kingdom of Naples.The last century brought great democratic changes in Eastern Europe. In Tirana, on July 2, 1990, hundreds of Albanians, followed by hundreds more in the following days, forcibly entered the foreign Embassies accredited in Tirana, mainly Western ones, demanding to leave Albania for the countries they wanted. With this act, they broke the “Albanian Wall of Berlin” that separated them from Europe, accelerating the end of 45-year communism in the country.

Today, the Albanian diaspora is present in European countries, the USA, Canada, Australia, and Africa. In most of the host countries, Albanians have founded their organizations. When dealing with the Albanian diaspora, international organizations’ main focus is linked with those who left Albania and Kosovo after the fall of communism in the 1990s and later. This definition is incomplete and does not represent the reality of the Albanian diaspora.

Many of those who left in the 90s joined their family or friends, who were already living abroad. They have joined the Albanian associations, which existed for a long time in many host countries.

Migration remains a difficult challenge for state institutions and Albanian society. To institutionalize the mission for the diaspora, the National Diaspora Strategy 2021-2025 was drafted, as an instrument, which deals with the state of the migratory phenomenon and the diaspora of Albania. It gives several recommendations, which clarify the future work of state structures. The purpose of the National Strategy is to provide Albania with a comprehensive policy for the diaspora and its placement in line with the orientations of the European Union’s integration policy and its treatment with the best international standards.

Diplomacy applies its foreign policy intending to identify, address, and contribute to the solution of the problems faced by the diaspora today, as well as generating public opinion in other countries.

Our foreign policy cooperates and commits to the preservation of national identity, through education and the use of the mother tongue, to the promotion of national values and heritage, as part of basic human rights and freedoms, while simultaneously helping in the most efficient integration of the Albanian diaspora in the host countries, as well as in maintaining and developing a clear national profile of it.

State-diaspora relations have been institutionalized with state diaspora agencies: National Agency of Diaspora, The Center for Studies and Publications for Arbëreshes, Publishing Center of Diaspora, wich develop and consolidate institutional collaboration with the diaspora;
• Protect the rights and interests of members of the diaspora;
• Provide assistance for the preservation of the mother tongue and cultural heritage by publishing and distributing approved textbooks and other books that will help to learn and preserve the national identity of the Albanian diaspora;
• Carry out specialized studies on the history, literature, and culture of the Arberesh community by encouraging cooperation between local researchers, in the diaspora and beyond, with the aim of supporting and developing the structure of studies on the Arber community;
• Distribute information and organize various activities to promote economic cooperation between the country of origin and the diaspora, by promoting the interests of Albania as well.

The diaspora-state relationship has been institutionalized by establishing the Diaspora Coordinating Council / Coordinating Council of Educators, whose composition includes the most prominent figures from among the diaspora, who regularly address their problems and needs in periodic meetings with Albanian institutions; Align the processes of cooperation between state institutions and the Albanian diaspora and support the creation of an organized network of Albanian communities between the host countries and the countries of origin.

Another support for the Albanian diaspora is also the work of the Diplomatic and Consular Representations of the Republic of Albania, which by aiming to protect the rights of Albanian citizens, help with the rules and practices of immigration in the host countries, compile periodic reports on the situation and organization of the Albanian diaspora as well and make Albanian citizens abroad more aware about the use of consular and diplomatic services offered through the electronic consular platform.

The phenomenon of “brain drain”, of qualified people leaving their homeland, which includes academics, qualified people in various fields, as well as a significant number of Albanian students studying in foreign universities, is worrying and considered harmful to the social-economic development of Albania, as they are the developing force and vitality of every country.
• Our foreign policy aims to encourage diaspora investments in the homeland through:
• The identification of all intellectual capacities located abroad;
• Networking of professional associations (lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs, etc.)
• The inclusion of the diaspora in accordance with the goals and interests of the diaspora community itself;
• Organizing activities and fairs that promote Albanian tourism and facilitate investments in the country;