Land Rights, Reintegration, and Albania's Returnee Journey

Upon their return, numerous returnees encountered challenges in resuming their previous lives. While the hurdles faced by returnees are varied, there are also common experiences shared among many, including difficulties in securing a stable income and finding formal employment. The Roma and Egyptian returnees from Seman Village had a long history of cultivating the land, passing down tacit agricultural knowledge through generations. However, as villagers began to leave in search of better opportunities abroad, the village’s land lay fallow and unattended. Plots were leased for modest sums while the villagers sought their fortunes elsewhere, and the agrarian way of life suffered a setback, leading to significant setbacks in local development for communities across Albania.

“We left for Germany in search of asylum and a better life because we were facing considerable challenges here,” explains Laureta Xhelali, a wheat farmer from the village, as she discusses her reasons for migrating. Although Laureta’s family had lived in the village for generations and owned their land, cultivating it year after year, they did not possess a legal title for their property. The administrative expenses associated with obtaining land titles were simply beyond their means. However, upon their return, the returnees received support from the EU-funded, UNDP-implemented Regional Returnee Reintegration Project, which assisted them in addressing various challenges they encountered upon their return.

For instance, despite their practical farming skills and familiarity with the land, returnees couldn’t fully benefit from their arable land for variety of reasons, including due to the absence of land titles. “Thirty years have passed, and we still haven’t received our land certificates,” Laureta Xhelali notes. In collaboration with local NGOs, UNDP facilitated the process for 16 returnee families to obtain their land titles. Laureta Xhelali expresses her gratitude: “Thanks to the project’s support and our family’s determination, we are now reaping the rewards of our efforts with our first wheat harvest.” While the primary focus of the project’s assistance was on obtaining land titles and encouraging returnees to resume agricultural production, it also enabled returnees to cultivate wheat on larger plots of arable land. Consequently, 27 families received support to start wheat production. The collaborative efforts of the returning villagers, local NGOs, and UNDP empowered returnees to use their land more productively. “Previously, I could only afford to plant two acres of land. Thanks to the support, I now have a hectare of wheat,” says Anila Kazanxhiu, a returnee and wheat farmer.

Thanks to the project’s assistance, those who previously couldn’t cultivate their land are now able to do so, and returning farmers have the opportunity to expand their arable land for more sustainable incomes. As part of the project’s support, these returnee-farmers also received a series of training sessions on good agricultural practices. This training equips them with the knowledge and skills needed to address agricultural challenges, from planting seeds to selling their produce in markets. For Mirjeta Ramizi from UNDP Albania, this project stands out as one of the most successful in her career. She remarks, “This is a very commendable project in terms of sustainability and impact because it delivers both capabilities and tangible results in a very short period. It’s visible, tangible, and leaves a lasting impact.”