17.05.2018. » 12:22 | ACDC

People from diaspora (so called Gastarbeiter) and those who are waiting for an opportunity to join them - OP-Ed

With nice weather and holidays, the season of feriae begins (it comes from the Latin word feriae, meaning holidays or longer breaks). In contrast to the majority of Mitrovica inhabitants, who after Vidovdan and end of the school year migrate to Budva or Vrnjačka Banja, on the other side of the river, now one is going away. It is the time of the Ramadan post and the holiday season brings the long line of the people from diaspora who want to spend their leave days with their family and friends in homeland. They arrive in Kosovo in exclusive models of cars from showrooms in Frankfurt and Geneva, ready to gallantly spend tens of millions of euros.

With nice weather and holidays, the season of feriae begins (it comes from the Latin word feriae, meaning holidays or longer breaks). In contrast to the majority of Mitrovica inhabitants, who after Vidovdan and end of the school year migrate to Budva or Vrnjačka Banja, on the other side of the river, now one is going away. It is the time of the Ramadan post and the holiday season brings the long line of the people from diaspora who want to spend their leave days with their family and friends in homeland. They arrive in Kosovo in exclusive models of cars from showrooms in Frankfurt and Geneva, ready to gallantly spend tens of millions of euros.

Their arrival creates increased income opportunities for hotels, construction companies and civil status officers (due to wedding ceremonies). Wedding celebrations are organized for hundreds of guests both on working days, according to traditional customs and rules of Islamic faith. Happy youngsters – he because he fulfilled his own and the desire of his parents to marry a girl from his homeland; she succeeded in marrying the most desirable type of newcomers in this area, Gastarbeiter. Or vice versa, it is important that both are eagerly awaiting a happy life outside Kosovo.

How does this affect young people? In addition to the seasonal work in informal labour market, they get an unrealistic picture of life outside of Kosovo. Multi-storey houses with garden which pillars are plastered with two-headed eagles on top and bright wheels at brand new vehicles, build dreams of opportunities for success for those who find themselves in Europe, regardless of their level and profile of education or language skills.

The impression of so called “honey and milk” through the streets of Stockholm, Zurich or Bielefeld remains at the end of the season when everyone goes and everything returns to the previous set up. It is not surprising that a small trigger is needed for highly educated young people with permanent employment in Kosovo, to abandon everything and leave for western European countries, because the overall situation in Kosovo does not provide a sense of security and stability, which is stated as the main factors for migration of the population.

Those who nevertheless decide not to leave, filled with Gastarbeiter two-week nationalism, remain to live between the blue-yellow and red-black flags with money that their relatives will send, waiting for a new wave of recruitment before the forhtcoming elections or planning at least to move to Pristina in search of a better opportunities.