Temporary Migration and Policy Challenges in the Western Balkan Countries—Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia Perspectives

Globalization has affected a rise in temporary labour and educational migration around the world. In this chapter, authors focus on the analysis of key trends of temporary migrationTemporary migration in the context of Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina (BH), North MacedoniaNorth Macedonia (NM), and SerbiaSerbia (RS), the determinants of this phenomenon as well as policyPolicy responses. Relying on desk research and statistical data analysis, the paper aims to highlight the temporary migration in the Western BalkanWestern Balkans (WB) region. Results reveal that besides continuous increase of temporary migrationTemporary migration flows from BH, NM, and RS to EU-27 countries, those three WB countries attract temporary migrantsMigrants in increasing numbers, mainly temporary labour migrantsMigrants. The analysis of the migration strategies confirms that during the last decade, in RS and NM, unlike BH, there is continuity in the development of a framework for wider utilization of temporary and circular migrationCircular migration, students and labour mobility in the WBWestern Balkans (WB) region. However, it is necessary to overcome the significant challenges related to the implementation. A summary of lessons learned was also included. The authors argue that innovative approaches to effectively manage temporary migrationTemporary migration should be developed, both from the perspective of countries of origin and destination, including mobility rise in the entire WBWestern Balkans (WB) region. Therefore, it is necessary to direct policyPolicy towards measuresMeasures that integrate temporary migrationTemporary migration into wider migration programmes. However, for evidence-based policyPolicy, a regular, updated, and synchronized statistical database for monitoring migration flows in all WBWestern Balkans (WB) countries should be established.