South East Europe’s diaspora: The dark side

On 8 May SEESOX held a seminar examining the dark side of South East European diasporas. The speakers were Dr Liz David-Barrett of Sussex University, Edrin Gjoni (Community Engagement Officer for the Albanian community, Home Office) and John Howell of JH&Co. David Madden chaired.

Dr David-Barrett described corruption as an abuse of entrusted power. It could be ad hoc/transactional or organised/systemic. Systemic corruption was often associated with clientilist policies which in turn provided opportunities for organised crime groups (OCG). Police, border controls/customs, the judiciary and Ministers/civil service were all in a position to provide services to OCG. In return, OCG could provide services to politicians and public officials: protection/localised ‘security’, favourable media coverage, party/campaign donations, bloc votes etc. What were special about diasporas? She advanced three hypotheses. OCG relationships relied heavily on trust, and transnational diaspora networks helped create such trust: facilitated by shared ethnicity /culture/language and by trust reinforcement mechanisms eg threats to family “back home”. Secondly, OCG relied on access to markets and resources, and diasporas could provide economic opportunities and local knowledge; and were vulnerable to extortion. Third, loyalty and a “small town” mentality, which reduced the readiness to inform on compatriots.

Edrin Gjoni reported that there were 802 Albanian offenders in UK prisons (by far the largest number from the 6 Western Balkan countries), 190 awaiting sentencing, and 1,600 deported in 2018. This followed an enormous increase in the Albanian community in the UK from 1990 to the present, as a result of disruption and economic hardship in the region. He described the cultural mindset of certain segments of the diaspora which disposed them towards OCG. These included a history of alienation from the state, seen as an oppressive force, and also a cow to be milked (because the state was a thief); lack of a collective conscience and social movements; the loss of traditional values under Communist rule; a culture dominated by the idea of strong men and the clans around them; a tribal and regional identity; and, in the absence of wholesome values, the worship of wealth.

John Howell commented that Albanian criminality was mainly in the areas of burglary, human trafficking, drugs and ‘polycriminality’. Branding/positioning characteristics were: little to lose, commercial instinct, logistical know-how, a reputation for efficiency, trusted family relationships, and a mixture of violence and a covert approach. He, like Edrin Gjoni, focussed on the long term: resistance to external authority; foreign interest inevitable and burdensome but also transient and leverageable; doing what they always did; and playing to geography and human capital strengths. There were also shorter term factors: the rise and fall of Yugoslav national security structures, war economies, the capture and control of public/private institutions, and the argument that other Western Balkan nations (eg Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia&Herzegovina) were also caught up in criminal activity. Other sustaining features and argument were: It’s not a crime but acceptable enrichment; OCG meet a demand; cross passporting, porous borders, weak rule of law and clientilism all encouraged OCG; and there was a vicious circle of unemployment, poverty and corruption. What was needed in Albania was generational change, and a challenge to politicians and enablers to up their game. Outside the region, there should be a medium to long term strategy, working with partners, working also with Albanian enforcement agencies and incentives to cease and desist: resist.

In the Q&A session, the following points were made: there was a lack of options for migrants from the Western Balkans to enter and work legally; there was no Islamic revival in Albania, but strong elements of Islam in Macedonia and Kosovo; the vulnerabilities of migrants and the diaspora were ruthlessly exploited by OCG; regional stability and education were essential elements of an enduring solution to the problems; as regards push/pull factors, and as an overall conclusion to the session, criminality seemed to follow the diasporas (and use them as bases/supply lines/contacts), rather than actively being encouraged by them.

David Madden (St Antony's College)