Kosovars abandoning villages overcrowd cities

In addition to Kosovo citizens' migration phenomenon to European countries, but even wider, another phenomenon is internal migration, which largely tends to be a destination of abandoning rural areas and of a new life In urban areas.

Employment and education are seen as among the main reasons why people prefer to abandon villages to live in cities.

According to recent data from the Kosovo Statistics Agency, in the past year alone, there have been about 9,000 cases of domestic population movement, from one municipality to another, mainly from rural to urban areas.

Hajriz Ademi, has been away with families for 15 years from a village in Pristina's municipality, to settle within Kosovo's capital, Pristina.

Ademi, who works in the education sector, together with eight family members lives in one of Pristina's neighbourhoods. He says he has been obliged to make such a decision, since, according to him, even though road infrastructure has been regulated, education and employment of children in cities is easier than in rural areas.

There are certain circumstances and contradictions quite differently. In view of the agricultural element that has lost its meaning, man must now leave his homeland and approach some centre for work or material goods, as the village has lost its goods and no longer benefits for all”, he says.

Major population migrations from rural to urban countries began from before the war, while continued at an even higher pace after the war.

The capital, Pristina, dominates as the most popular destination for migration.

On the official site of the Pristina municipality, it is said that this municipality alone numbers about 200,000 people, out of whom 161 thousand live in urban areas and 37 thousand in rural areas. But, unofficially, demographics believe that in Pristina, more residents live, compared to official figures, as a significant number live in Pristina for rent and are not registered at all.

This shift, according to experts, is happening with the very will of citizens in search of a better life.

Demaft Rifat Blaku, in a proposal for Radio Free Europe, says citizens are abandoning villages for educational and employment reasons. He says that only road infrastructure is not enough for a normal life in the village, so, he stresses, forms should be found by government institutions to offer solutions to prevent this phenomenon.

It is true that, on a scale, republic in the post-war years, investments have been made in infrastructure and several schools and maternity schools have been built. But they are symbolic, so the best situation and reflection is migration, ecstasy from village to city. Unfortunately, the problem is in manifestation and is not calming”, Black says.

Despite the displacement of the large number of citizens from villages to cities, Blaku says that urban areas do not meet the goals of those who decide to live in cities either.

“are the austerity factors that greatly pushed young people, mainly, but also families to abandon villages and target cities with a hope that they will find a perspective, work, schooling or improvement of their social status”.

However, the attractive factors of cities are not as expected and what has been hoped for after the end of the war. Because we are dealing with an unstable development of capitalism in Kosovo”, Black said.

In recent years, one of the sectors most supported by government and municipal power is agriculture. But even this subvention has not reduced the displacement and desire of citizens to flee to cities.

Hajriz Ademi says that roads exist in rural areas, as one of the first conditions for living. But he does not consider the agricultural sector convenient to provide a vital standard for the future of his family.

I left the village, but the village doesn't come out of me. It means I always think about it, because it's my birthplace. Yet, there are no conditions, no matter what the asphalt is, other circumstances dictate that there is no way of living from agricultural goods and the work of the arm”, Ademi says.

According to Statistics Agency data, the total number of residents in Kosovo last year has been around 1.8 million. From this figure in 2011, according to the latest population census, it turns out that 61.7 per cent of the population live in rural areas, and 38.3 per cent in urban areas. At a square mile in Kosovo live 164 people. / REL/