The ECONDIAS Final Report titled “Study of the Diasporas’ Contributions to the Socio-Economic Development in the Western Balkans,” accompanied by a policy brief, was published. Our Director of Research, Nermin Oruč was a country researcher for Bosnia and Herzegovina within the ECONDIAS project.
In order to draw context-specific conclusions about the success and challenges of diaspora-led investment in home countries, this report synthesised the overall findings of the ECONDIAS project, assessed national and EU-level policy and institutional environments, and identified relevant stakeholders and practises. By considering a similar country of settlement in the European settlement country outside the Western Balkan region, a “corridor approach” was used to better understand the relationship between the Western Balkan diaspora members and their countries of origin. As a basis for further policy and programmatic recommendations to the European Commission and the national public authorities, it also identified relevant and promising economic diaspora engagement practises, barriers to meaningful engagement, lessons learned, and the needs and potentials of relevant stakeholders. The study is based on a total of 160 semi-structured interviews conducted with policymakers, stakeholders, and entrepreneurs across the 11 research countries and with the European Commission.
The final report can be found here, while the policy brief can be accessed here.