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Essay on Development Policy

Diaspora skills for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s development – reviewing existing approaches and

contemplating new ideas, with a focus on Switzerland’s Bosnian diaspora

Lea Zanola

MAS 2010 -‐ 2012

NADEL -‐ Centre for Development and Cooperation, ETH Zurich

March 2012

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Diaspora skills for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s development – reviewing existing approaches and contemplating new ideas, with a focus on Switzerland’s Bosnian diaspora

By Lea Zanola, March 2012

This paper deals with the development approach of diaspora engagement, which is

becoming increasingly important within the global migration and development

debate. It summarizes and critically discusses main efforts that have been made in

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) towards diaspora contribution to the country’s

development via skills and knowledge transfer. It highlights the need for a

systematic approach and identifies a one-‐sided orientation of projects and research

towards the scientific diaspora and university graduates. While focusing on the

Bosnian diaspora living in Switzerland, the paper further contemplates

opportunities and challenges for projects in the field of vocational and practical

skills transfer.

MIGRANTS AS AGENTS OF DEVELOPMENT

For the last few years, migration and development have no longer been

considered separate, but interlinked and complementary issues. By and by, the

focus of the debate has shifted from the negative effects of migration to the

potential benefits migrants can offer as agents of development for both their

home and host countries. Probably not by accident, the title of The Economist’s

November issue is “The magic of diasporas – How migrant business networks are

reshaping the world”. Indeed, migrants who are residing abroad – sometimes in

the second or third generation – but still maintain ties to their homeland1, are

1 The GFMD is using the following working definition of a diaspora: A diaspora is composed of individuals originating from one country, living outside this country irrespective of their citizenship or nationality, who, individually or collectively, are or could be willing to contribute to the development of this country. Descendents of these individuals are also included in this definition.

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(potential) agents of development2: many relatives are heavily depending on

their emigrated family members’ remittances, for example, and many economies

in developing and transitional countries rely on diaspora businesses,

investments and knowledge.

Consequently, efforts are made to link migration with development goals.

For this reason, the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) was

established in 20073, and new focal points within development organizations4

were created. Research activity has increased, mainly concentrating on the

development impact of migrant remittances5 and the scientific diaspora6.

Comprehensive approaches to manage migration are being identified and

relevant strategies as well as concrete instruments developed.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a good example for illustrating ongoing

trends towards diaspora engagement and for showing the complexity of this

topic. Efforts are made both from governmental and international institutions to

“mobilize” the large diaspora for cooperation and contribution. However, the

way from the idea to a concrete realization is far and complex. BiH is still at the

beginning and faces various problems: the Diaspora Department of the Ministry

of Human Rights and Refugees as the official body responsible for diaspora

issues (see later) has limited capacities and power, knowledge about the

2 See for example Wickramasekara, Piyasiri (2009): Diasporas and Development – Perspectives on Definitions and Contributions. Perspectives on Labour Migration No. 9, International Migration Programme. Geneva: ILO 3 The GFMD (www.gfmd.org) is the largest and most comprehensive global platform for informal and voluntary dialogue and cooperation on international migration and development. The aim is to promote dialogue and partnerships between and among governments, international organizations, the civil society, and other non-‐governmental actors in order to maximize migration’s developmental benefits while minimizing its negative impacts. The annual meetings were held in Brussels (2007), Manila (2008), Athens (2009) Puerto Vallarta (2010) and Geneva (2011). 4 The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), for instance, recently added the topics of labour migration and diaspora involvement to its thematic basket (www.deza.admin.ch/en/Home/ Themes/Migration), and formed a learning network also active in these fields (www.sdc-‐migration.ch). The German GIZ created an own section on migration and development under the topic of economic development and employment (www.gtz.de/en/themen/ wirtschaft-‐beschaeftigung/15634.htm). 5 For BiH see for example the IASCI/IOM studies from 2009 (Maximising the Development Impact of Migration-‐related Financial Flows and Investment from Austria to Bosnia and Herzegovina) and 2010 (Maximising the Development Impact of Migration-‐related Financial Flows and Investment to Bosnia and Herzegovina) as well as the research by Nermin Oruc (2011): Remittances and Development – The Case of Bosnia. 6 For BiH see for example: Nikolic, Sara; Mraovic, Borisa; Cosic, Emina (2010): The Scientific Diaspora as the Brain Gain Option – Exploring the Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ACIPS Association Alumni of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Studies.

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diaspora is scarce, and their “mobilization” is challenging. Therefore, current

initiatives tend to be rather limited, unsystematic and one-‐sided.

To support home-‐country governments in such intensions, the Migration

Policy Institute developed a roadmap for diaspora engagement (see Annex II).7 It

highlights essential steps towards an effective engagement of diaspora in

development:

1. Identify goals and capacities

2. Know your diaspora

3. Build trust

4. Mobilize stakeholders

BIH’S DEVELOPMENT NEEDS AND OBJECTIVES

The roadmap for diaspora engagement instructs governments to start with the

identification of country development goals and own capacities. Gaps where

external contribution is needed can thus be identified, and the development

concerns be matched wit available resources from the diaspora.

One of BiH’s major and long-‐term development challenges is the

widespread and growing (youth) unemployment. General unemployment

increased from 23.4% in 2008 to 27.6% in 2011. The youth unemployment rate

rose in the same period from 47.5% to 57.9%.8 Accordingly, employment is one

of the six strategic goals of the country’s Draft Strategy of Development 2010-‐

2014 (hereafter “Country Development Strategy”, resp. CDS), which aims at

securing a more competitive, stable and self-‐sustainable economy with a long-‐

term perspective of EU integration.9

7 Graph and description in: Global Forum on Migration and Development, Athens, 4-‐5 November 2009, Background Paper Roundtable 1, Session 1.2: Engaging diasporas and migrants in development policies and programs – Their role? Their constraints? Available at: http://www.gfmdathens2009.org/ index.php?id=59&L=0. The IOM also provides relevant information to policy makers in the following publication: Pinto-‐Dobernig, Ilse (Ed.) (2006): Engaging Diasporas as Development Partners for Home and Destination Countries – Challenges for Policymakers. IOM Migration Research Series, No. 26. Available at: www.iom.int 8 Data are taken from the Labour Force Survey, conducted by the Statistical Agency of BiH on an annual basis, using the ILO definition of unemployment. Youth unemployment figures apply to young people aged 15 to 24. 9 The Draft Strategy of Development has been prepared – coordinated by the Directorate for Economic Planning – in cooperation with governments’ representatives, social partners, civil society and the academic

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An obvious reason for the bleak employment situation is the shortage of

job opportunities due to an insufficient demand for labour, especially in the

aftermath of the economic crisis10, and the low job creation due to a difficult

business environment.11 This vacancy gap, however, explains only part of the

problems in BiH’s labour market: structural deficiencies are hindering the

matching between existing vacancies and the unemployed (information gap), as

well as the equipment of graduates with employable skills.

This skills mismatch becomes evident if, despite huge unemployment

figures, many job vacancies cannot be filled. A majority of BiH companies see two

main limitations of the existing labour force: first, job-‐seekers’ outdated or

inadequate skills – both occupation-‐specific technical skills as well as generic

“soft” skills; second, insufficient experience and performance related to practical

work assignments.12 The wood and metal sector, the hotel and restaurant

industry as well as the tourism sector for instance have difficulties in finding

skilled labour,13 while unemployment is most widespread among graduates of

vocational schools14. The BiH government acknowledged the lacking labour

market orientation of vocational education and training (VET) provision and

vocational skills development (VSD) and included measures in the CDS. Until

now, reform efforts have mainly concentrated on the formal VET sector15, while

community in 2010. Its strategic objectives are (1) macro-‐economic stability, (2) competitiveness, (3) employment, (4) sustainable development, (5) EU integration, and (6) social inclusion. 10 BiH belongs to the countries in the region hit hardest by the global economic crisis (World Bank (2011): South East Europe – Regular Economic Report). 11 BiH is on the 125th out of 183 ranks in the World Bank’s Doing Business Ranking 2012. All other countries in the Region have better ranking (Kosovo 117, Serbia 92, Albania 82, Montenegro 56, and Macedonia 22). Main shortages are long registration procedures, complex regulations, lacking entrepreneurial spirit etc. 12 Federal Employment Institute FZZZ (2008): Labour Market and Employment Analysis in the Federation of BiH; World Bank (2009): BiH Enterprise Survey 13 According to the FIRMA Project (USAID/SIDA), which is concentrating on those sectors, the main skills shortages are: product design (wood processing sector), knowledge in materials and technical documentation (metal sector), client management, communication, and foreign languages (tourism). 14 World Bank (2009): Are Skills Constraining Growth in BiH? 15 Over the past decade, the European Commission was involved in institutional capacity building, curricula development, and teacher training, and in developing new financing models, a new nomenclature of occupations, and a National Qualifications Framework. The EU VET 4 project, 2011-‐2013 (www.euvet4.ba/en) is currently running.

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the largely under-‐regulated non-‐formal and adult education and training

(NFAET) has only received attention recently.16

The neglect of vocational and continuous on-‐the-‐job training is a severe

shortcoming of the Bosnian education and training system, on upper-‐

secondary17 as well as on tertiary level18. The Global Competitiveness Report

2011-‐201219 ranks BiH 136th out of 142 economies concerning on-‐the-‐job

training (availability of and companies’ investment in trainings). In comparison,

Switzerland takes the leading position. Practical training, however, is crucial for

nurturing “pools of well-‐educated workers who are able to adapt rapidly to their

changing environment and the evolving needs of the production system”.20

Against the background of this striking skills mismatch and the huge

human resources pool abroad in the form of the diaspora population, it is

obvious that increased diaspora involvement in skills development would be an

opportunity for the country. Accordingly, the Country Development Strategy

(CDS) defines intervention areas and measures to use diaspora skills and

knowledge – not on account of employment, but under the goal of

competitiveness. The competency of human resources shall be increased

through:

• Return of experts and scientists and their re-‐integration

• Circular migration of experts and scientists

16 Currently active in that field are the USAID/SIDA run FIRMA Project (www.firmaproject.ba/en) by identifying industry needs and improving formal and non-‐formal education and training in wood, metal, and tourism; the SDC’s Skills for Jobs Project (www.prilikaplus.ba) by increasing demand-‐orientation of the NFAET provision; and a project implemented by the GIZ (www.gtz.de/en/weltweit/europa-‐kaukasus-‐zentralasien/bosnien-‐herzegowina/34757.htm) aiming at improving formal, non-‐formal and informal adult education in BiH. 17 Upper secondary education in BiH consists of three streams: (1) general secondary education (4 years) providing access to university, (2) four-‐year technical education and (3) three-‐year vocational training. The majority of students are enrolled in the vocational training and occupational streams. 18 According to the World Bank, tertiary education equally fails to equip graduates with the right skills set. Especially their ability to apply the acquired knowledge in practice is deficient, partially resulting from lacking internship possibilities (World Bank (2011): South East Europe – Regular Economic Report, Focus Note # 1: Skills, Not Just Diplomas). 19 Schwab, Klaus (2011): The Global Competitiveness Report 2011-‐2012, World Economic Forum, Geneva Switzerland. The report can be downloaded from http://reports.weforum.org/global-‐competitiveness-‐2011-‐2012/. 20 Schwab, Klaus (2011): The Global Competitiveness Report 2011-‐2012, World Economic Forum, Geneva Switzerland, p 5. The report can be downloaded from http://reports.weforum.org/global-‐competitiveness-‐2011-‐2012/.

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• Networking of academic diaspora with local institutions

The scientific diaspora’s knowledge shall also be used to enhance the capacities

of education systems (Draft Strategy of Social Inclusion from 201021). While a

Draft Action Plan from 2010 exists for BiH institutions on state and entity-‐level22,

the activities related to knowledge and skills transfer from the diaspora have not

been elaborated yet23. All in all, the planning of diaspora involvement in BiH is

still in progress, indicating that the first step of the roadmap for diaspora

engagement has only partly been made.

Until now, diaspora contributions were neither channelled nor used in a

systematic way at any administrative level in BiH. It is therefore a common

understanding among experts that institutional development should be given

priority in order to achieve real development impact of diaspora engagement.24

A local researcher even states that a separate diaspora strategy and the creation

of a Ministry of Diaspora (as for example in Serbia) would be essential for

success.25

At present, the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees (MHRR) and the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) have the responsibility at state level to deal

with diaspora-‐related issues. While protecting the rights and interests of BiH

nationals living abroad is assigned to the MFA, the MHRR’s Department for

Diaspora develops policies and is the competence centre on diaspora at state

level. Due to a lack of awareness among decision makers in BiH the MHRR’s

Diaspora Department does not feel adequately supported by the government. It

21 The Strategy of Social Inclusion is dedicated to the 6th goal of the Strategy of Development, elaborating specific strategic sub-‐goals in a separate document. 22 Since the Dayton Peace Agreement (signed in December 1995) the state of BiH consists of two Entities, and the self-‐governing, entity-‐neutral Brcko District. While the Federation of BiH (FBiH) has ten “Cantons”, the Republika Srpska (RS) is centrally organized. Due to this constellation the institutional framework is highly complex and decentralized: most government functions are performed at the level of the Entity in the RS and at the levels of the Cantons in the FBiH. The scope of State institutions is generally limited. 23 The planning of activities related to financial/economic diaspora contribution (mentioned under the CDS’s goals of macro-‐economic stability, employment, and sustainable development) is more advanced. The activities mainly aim at creating conditions for increased savings and investment from the diaspora and at supporting the development of SMEs. 24 Application for TAIEX Workshop on ”Emigration Issues in the Western Balkans – Joint Approach to Linking Migration and Development of the countries of Origin”, submitted on 15 March 2011 by the Directorate for European Integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 25 Oruc, Nermin (2011): Remittances and development – The case of Bosnia. Available at www.migrationeducation.org.

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is heavily understaffed (10 employees are responsible for about 1.5 million

diaspora members), suffers from limited influence and power as well as from

insufficient funding. Activities and projects depend mainly on international

donors’ contribution.26

Still, the MHRR’s Department for Diaspora shows great commitment and

dedication even without appropriate support by the government. Since its

establishment in April 2000, the department has been coordinating and steering

diaspora-‐related research, (pilot) projects and initiatives in BiH. It is involved in

organizing networking events in order to strengthen a regional approach

towards linking migration and development. Through the European

Commission’s TAIEX instrument27, the MHRR organized the first regional

conference on that issue in October 2011.28 It focused on how to strengthen a

systematic approach to managing migration, how to better use the diaspora’s

financial and human capital and how to increase the support mechanisms for

diaspora engagement. A pre-‐event29 mainly tackled the scientific diaspora

resources and their mobilization (brain gain) in the context of sustainable

development. Inputs from the workshop have been communicated to the

Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)30 for the preparatory process of the planned

“Western Balkans Regional Strategy on Research and Development for

Innovation”. Recommendations include the establishment of a regional multi-‐

stakeholder task force for diaspora mobilization under the leadership of the RCC,

26 Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Department for Diaspora, ppt-‐Presentation for the TAIEX Multi-‐country Workshop JHA 46448: Linking Migration and Development of the Western Balkans Countries, Sarajevo, 13-‐14 October 2011. Available at: www.mhrr.gov.ba

27 The Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument “supports partner countries with regard to the approximation, application and enforcement of EU legislation. It is largely demand driven and facilitates the delivery of appropriate tailor-‐made expertise to address issues at short notice.” Source: http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/taiex/what-‐is-‐taiex/index_en.htm 28 The “Multi-‐country Workshop on Emigration Issues in the Western Balkans – Joint Approach to Linking Migration and Development of the Countries of Origin” took place in Sarajevo. It was addressed at institutions and organizations from the Western Balkans and the EU countries. 29 International workshop initiated by the Austrian Science and Research Liaison Office Ljubljana and co-‐organized by the MHRR: MobilizeDiaspora4SD – Mobilization of Intellectual and Financial Resources from Diaspora for Knowledge Based Sustainable Development in SEE, 12.10.2011, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Information available at: www.glocha.info/index.php/latest-‐news/167-‐sarajevo-‐workshop for Knowledge Based Sustainable Development in SEE 30 The RCC functions as a focal point for regional cooperation in South East Europe. It generates and coordinates developmental projects of a wider, regional character and supports European and Euro-‐Atlantic integration of the aspiring countries (www.rcc.int/pages/6/2/overview).

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a network of local centres as well as a regional competence/research centre for

migration and knowledge-‐based sustainable development.

TACKLING THE SKILLS GAP THROUGH DIASPORA COOPERATION

Both the conferences and the Country Development Strategy reflect the

importance of the diaspora’s human capital in the current migration and

development debate. They also show the focus on the academic diaspora’s

knowledge and contribution, which might result from the severe brain drain in

the region.31 BiH for instance has “lost” more than 60% of its scientists,

researchers and university personnel in the past 10 years.32

One way to regain the knowledge is to motivate high-‐skilled diaspora

members to return. For that purpose, support mechanisms for potential

returnees must be improved: recognition of foreign degrees and diplomas,

employment, company foundations etc. The MHRR has submitted a

corresponding IPA33 project proposal34 to the EC Delegation.

However, even if a survey on return intentions among youths from the

diaspora suggests a rather high return potential35, the World Bank states: „The

extent of actual return migration […] appears to be small and dwindling“36. It is

therefore important to achieve brain gain also through temporary (and/or

virtual) return. A Brain Gain Program (BGP, 2002-‐2011) of the World University

31 Brain drain is a problem in the whole region, but in particular in BiH. The Global Competitiveness Report 2011-‐2012 places BiH on the 126th rank out of 142 economies related to brain drain. Source: Schwab, Klaus (2011): The Global Competitiveness Report 2011-‐2012, World Economic Forum, Geneva Switzerland. The report can be downloaded from http://reports.weforum.org/global-‐competitiveness-‐2011-‐2012/.

32 World Bank (2011): South East Europe – Regular Economic Report, Focus Note # 2: Could Regional Cooperation Increase the Contribution of R & D and Innovation to Economic Development in the SEE6?

33 The Instrument for Pre-‐Accession Assistance (IPA) supports the stabilisation and association process of (potential) EU candidate countries for the period 2007-‐2013. By means of a single framework, the efficiency and coherence of aid shall be enhanced, institutional capacity strengthened, and cross-‐border cooperation improved (http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/agriculture/enlargement/e50020_en.htm, accessed on 25th of January 2012). 34 ”Support to social inclusion and reintegration of migrants (returnees), particularly the young, aimed at local development” 35 Only 5% of interviewees decided not to return to BiH ever, while a large number of individuals consider return (33%) or do not consider return yet, but might decide to return (26%). Source: MDGF Youth, Employment and Migration programme: Youth Employability and Retention Programme (YERP), Potential of Diaspora and its Return to BiH, Survey Report, June 2011. 36 World Bank: Harnessing the Diaspora for Development in Europe and Central Asia, Migration and Remittances Peer Assisted Learning (MIRPAL) Discussion Series, September 22, 2011, p ii

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Service (WUS) Austria37 aimed at fostering academic mobility and contribution

of the diaspora on the one hand and at supporting reforms of higher education in

BiH, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia on the other hand. Professors, assistants or

experts were invited to teach as guest lecturers, participate in research and

development and mentor student theses at universities or faculties. The

programme was financed by the Austrian Development Cooperation38 but has

now been stopped due to a lack of available funds. Even if the established

database is still available, the project proved to be successful and follow-‐up

activities take place39, sustainability can be questioned. Long-‐term impact will be

limited if the project is not anchored in the country’s system.

The skills and knowledge transfer programmes carried out in BiH by the

International Organization for Migration (IOM) (see Annex III) are exposed to the

same risk. Two of those programmes, aiming at a temporary return of highly

skilled diaspora members40, have already been completed and showed good

results (TOKTEN 2003-‐200541 and TRQN 2006-‐2011). The regional MIDWEB

project – among others also including the diaspora living in Switzerland – has

started in early 2011 and will probably also be successful42. All projects are

37 www.wus-‐austria.org/project/0/21.html, www.braingainprogram.org

38 The programme paid travel costs and a monthly allowance, while the applying university or faculty was obliged to cover accommodation costs.

39 During project implementation 218 lectures took place in BiH and were generally appreciated. 30% of the guest lecturers started to teach frequently at BiH universities beyond the project, and many are involved in other projects. The project also reports positive impact on the quality of education and the students’ academic development. Source: Brain Gain Program (Plus) 2002-‐2011, ppt-‐presentation at the conference: "Fostering Partnerships for Return of Skills and Human Capital to the Western Balkans", 19-‐20 October 2011, Budapest, Hungary. Available at: http://www.migrantservicecentres.org/index.php?page=2# Bp_conference

40 While an internationally agreed definition of qualified/highly skilled migrants is lacking, the IOM includes persons who earned the level of qualifications needed to practice a certain profession. This includes tertiary-‐educated as well as occupationally trained persons respectively skilled workers (e.g. nurses). Source: Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA). The MIDA Experience and Beyond – Operationalizing Migration for Development Across Regions. IOM International Organization for Migration, Switzerland, 2009. 41 TOKTEN is a pioneering programme in promoting diaspora knowledge and skills transfer. Existing since 1977 the programme has been replicated manifold and is widely recognized as good-‐practice example for effectively engaging the diaspora. However, „comprehensive information on operation of the [general TOKTEN] programme is not readily available“ (www.ilo.org/dyn/migpractice/migmain.showPractice?p_ lang=en&p_practice_id=26). For TOKTEN BiH as well, no clear evaluation of the achievements could be found (Naruse, Hiroki (2006): Brain Drain – The Impacts and Strategies. Research Paper, December 2006. Ritsumeikan University College of International Relations. Available at: www.docstoc.com/docs/14919892/ Brain-‐Drain-‐The-‐Impacts-‐and-‐Strategies). 42 It can build on lessons learned from the other projects. The scale of the project’s Temporary and Virtual Return component is however limited: During project implementation, only 10 experts will return

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based on voluntary short-‐term consultancy provided by diaspora experts to the

public and private sector of their home country. The declared goal is to establish

relevant structures, networks and logistics for such activities, both in host and

home countries. However, the sustainability of such structures is not yet

ensured. Exemplarily the case of TOKTEN: „The success of the programme in

establishing a useful and on-‐going framework of exchange between origin

country governments and institutions to which the consultants belong is still

unclear.“43 Activities are to a large extent (and sometimes fully) financed by the

project, and will most probably not be able to be continued without external

funding. In order to ensure sustainability and outreach, it would be extremely

important to evaluate the programmes in detail and to investigate possibilities of

how to include them in the country’s system44. The problem of such stand-‐alone

and timely limited initiatives in BiH has also been identified by a recent study45.

And the Migration Policy Institute even questions the scalability of such

programmes in general46. Meanwhile, the IOM and the MHRR are aware of the

problem and take corresponding initiatives (e.g. by sharing best practices,

fostering partnership and creating synergies47).

Besides the direct transfer of skills and knowledge, establishing links and

networks between home and host country institutions and specialists is another

contribution of the diaspora to the development of human resources in BiH. The

CDS mentions that such models provide good results, and thus highlights the

necessity for BiH’s government to institutionalize and support networking

initiatives. Often, they are initiated and maintained by the diaspora itself and are temporarily and one virtually. Until October 2011, one exchange has been organized with BiH. Source: www.ekapija.ba/website/bih/page/485419_en 43 www.ilo.org/dyn/migpractice/migmain.showPractice?p_lang=en&p_practice_id=26 44 The BGP for example is now a separate department within the Ministry for Education, Science and Technology of Kosovo. Source: Brain Gain Program (Plus) 2002-‐2011, ppt-‐presentation at the conference: "Fostering Partnerships for Return of Skills and Human Capital to the Western Balkans", 19-‐20 October 2011, Budapest, Hungary. Available at: www.migrantservicecentres.org/index.php?page=2#Bp_conference 45 Nikolic, Sara; Mraovic, Borisa; Cosic, Emina (2010): The Scientific Diaspora as the Brain Gain Option – Exploring the Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ACIPS Association Alumni of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Studies. 46 „Many [programs] require the exhaustive review of candidates and opportunities, and then the labor-‐intensive matching of the two“. „A limited number of [TOKTEN] programs appear to have taken root while the majority of programs have failed to attract more than a handful of volunteers“. Source: Terrazas, Aaron (2010): Connected through Service – Diaspora Volunteers and Global Development. Migration Policy Institute, p.34. 47 IOM for example plans to organize a seminar on “Lessons Learned in Short-‐Term Return Programmes” to be held in October 2012 in Sarajevo (www.migrantservicecentres.org/index.php?page=2#Bp_conference).

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thus not dependent on external funding. One such example is the Bosnian-‐

Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences (BHAAAS).48 The

Academy, founded 2007 in North Carolina, provides connections between

Bosnian-‐Herzegovinian scientists, artists and professionals in the United States

and Canada and builds bridges of cooperation with the homeland. BHAAAS

organizes ‘’Days of BHAAAS in B&H’’ every year and was present at the above-‐

mentioned TAIEX conference in Sarajevo in 2011. Similarly, the Bosnian

Herzegovinian Medical Initiative (BMI)49 aims at systematically connecting

human resources in medical science in BiH, the diaspora and worldwide. The

BMI is a platform allowing medical experts to exchange information, help each

other solve complicated cases and enhance their professional network.

Regularly, courses on relevant topics are organized in BiH. With more than a

thousand members, the BMI is one of the largest medical associations in the

region.

CONTEMPLATING VOCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS TRANSFER

As shown above, past and future initiatives and research mainly focus on

the diaspora with tertiary education, i.e. scientific diaspora and university

graduates. The labour market is, however, also in need of skilled workers, and

the VET system in BiH suffers. Additionally, the biggest part of the diaspora does

not belong to the academic circle. For that matter the existing diaspora-‐related

initiatives in BiH ignore a huge potential for knowledge and skills transfer. It is

most likely that part of the diaspora living in countries with a strong VET

system50 such as Switzerland, Germany or Austria did benefit from the local

education system and could accumulate valuable vocational skills and

knowledge. As development organizations from the respective countries (SDC,

GIZ, ADA, and various NGOs) are experienced in implementing VSD and VET

projects, they were able to support initiatives targeting at engaging the diaspora

to transfer vocational knowledge. Until now, this idea has not yet gained enough

48 http://bhaaas.org 49 www.bmi-‐bh.ba 50 The dual system – combining theory and practice – produces a diverse and high-‐skilled labour force with professionals who are well prepared for “real” work.

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attention in BiH – at least, no related research or ongoing projects could be

found.

To develop a comprehensive diaspora engagement approach in the field

of knowledge and skills transfer it would be worth to:

1. consider using diaspora skills and knowledge for institutional development

of the VET system and not only in tertiary education, and to

2. assess possibilities to transfer practical vocational skills and not only

scientific knowledge.

Based on discussions with experts in the field of VSD and VET and on the

lessons learned of other diaspora skills transfer projects (granted that scalability

and sustainability, see above, are possible), different measures could be

envisaged and are roughly contemplated here. Building upon the Brain Gain

Program, skilled workers from the diaspora could (1) provide specialized short-‐

term training sessions on a specific topic of need, similarly to the guest lecturers.

They could also (2) provide mentoring for trainees. While mentoring student

theses can easily be done virtually, transferring vocational knowledge might

often not be possible in that way. Given the long-‐term character of mentoring

activities, finding mentors from the diaspora could be difficult. However, this

option could be attractive for retired diaspora members with the right skill set,

or for young people who completed an apprenticeship. For both short-‐term

trainings and long-‐term mentoring the diaspora members would need to have

teaching skills. Even if no figures are available, it can be assumed that a certain

number of skilled workers in the diaspora have been trained as instructors51 or

are experienced in mentoring apprentices. Another possibility for the diaspora to

transfer knowledge and skills – in this case without travelling to BiH – would be

(3) hosting interns or apprentices from BiH in diaspora businesses or in

companies with employees from the diaspora who could act as mentors. A

similar programme – even if not focusing on diaspora contribution – already

exists. The German business internship programme for the countries of the

51 Translation of the German word „Lehrmeister“.

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Western Balkans (2011-‐2013)52 is providing internship possibilities in German

companies for young people at the start of their careers. The trainees get the

chance to acquire practical experience, which is widely lacking in BiH. By using

their skills back in BiH, they may help their country’s economy to gain

momentum. Offering internship possibilities to young people is also one of the

CDS’s measures to increase the country’s competitiveness53. Both the German

programme and the Strategy are mainly focusing on university graduates and do

not mention diaspora businesses as potential partners. It would certainly be

worthwhile to identify possibilities for diaspora cooperation, with a special focus

on the vocational field. (4) Promoting entrepreneurial culture, which is a

measure of the CDS under the goal of employment, could be another

contribution. Especially in the vocational field, successful diaspora

entrepreneurs could act as role models and inspire trainees and employees to

start their own businesses, or they could figure as entrepreneurial advisors for

existing companies. Last but not least, (5) knowledge can also be transferred

through partnerships between a diaspora company and one of the same sector in

BiH or by creating a partner organization in BiH54.

While contemplating such opportunities, it becomes obvious that for the

government, planning concrete activities (top-‐down approach55) is almost

impossible without knowing the diaspora more precisely. An outline of the

diaspora skills, knowledge, education, profession etc., as proposed in the above-‐

mentioned roadmap, is essential for developing programmes with a greater

range of influence. This, of course, should not exclude supporting bottom-‐up

initiatives like the BHAAAS and the BMI (see above). 52 The programme started 2003 in Serbia and includes since 2007 the other Western Balkan countries BiH, Albania, Kosovo, Croatia, Macedonia, and Montenegro. Information available at: www.gtz.de/en/weltweit/ europa-‐kaukasus-‐zentralasien/bosnien-‐herzegowina/34366.htm, and www.stipendienprogramm.org/ index.php ?id=13&L=3 53 Additionally, within the YERP (see Annex III) IOM will design and implement a pilot circular/temporary migration scheme for both skilled and unskilled youth. The aim is to identify and facilitate work and internship opportunities abroad, and to negotiate agreements with the host countries (www.iom.ba/YERP.html). 54 Most probably such partnerships would be based on investment in the hometown of the diaspora member as „the vast majority of potential investors [82.5%] are planning to invest in their places of origin in BiH“ (IASCI/IOM (2010): Maximising the Development Impact of Migration-‐related Financial Flows and Investment to Bosnia and Herzegovina, p. 76). 55 This terminology – which seems to be appropriate – is used by Nikolic, Sara; Mraovic, Borisa; Cosic, Emina (2010): The Scientific Diaspora as the Brain Gain Option – Exploring the Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ACIPS Association Alumni of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Studies.

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THE NEED TO KNOW THE DIASPORA

While detailed knowledge about the Bosnian diaspora does not exist yet, it is

well known that the worldwide Bosnian diaspora is extensive. According to the

MHRR56, around 1’350’000 people with BiH origins live outside their country –

almost 40% of the total population.57 While this large number is mainly a result

of the 1992-‐1995 conflict, emigration has continued in the post-‐war period at a

fast pace. Many young people are leaving to work or study abroad. Due to the

large diaspora, remittances are enormous. In 2010, 2.2 billion USD were sent to

BiH58, which is much more than the overall foreign direct investment (FDI) and

the overall official development assistance (ODA) received by BiH59. The share of

remittances in the total GDP in 2009 was 12,7%.60

With 59’222 BiH emigrants Switzerland belongs to the top host countries

after Croatia (262’620), Germany (240’000), Austria (133’585), Serbia

(131’108), the US (120’655) and Slovenia (97’142).61 However, those figures are

hardly comparable as the criteria used by the statistical agencies of the host

countries differ. While some agencies only count the foreign-‐born population (in

this case migrants with BiH origin), others also include the 2nd or even 3rd

generation.

Most host countries can estimate the size of the diasporas, but have no

detailed information such as on profession or educational background. If

collected at all, data is often aggregated for all migrants from former Yugoslavia.

The MHRR is therefore approaching the main recipient countries in order to map

56 Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Department for Diaspora, ppt-‐Presentation for the TAIEX Multi-‐country Workshop JHA 46448: Linking Migration and Development of the Western Balkans Countries, Sarajevo, 13-‐14 October 2011. Available at: www.mhrr.gov.ba 57 As the last census dates back to 1991 all population figures for BiH are crude estimations. 58 World Bank, Migration and Remittances Factbook, 2011. Available at: http://data.worldbank.org/data-‐catalog/migration-‐and-‐remittances 59 FDI in 2010 was 0.23 billion current USD. Only in 2007, BiH attracted with 2.1 billion current USD an amount comparable with the remittances (thanks to large-‐scale privatization). ODA in 2009 was 0.42 current USD. Source: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator?display=default, accessed in March 2012. 60 The share is comparable with Serbia or Albania, but significantly higher than other countries in the Region like Croatia (2.4% in 2009) or Macedonia (4.5% in 2009). Source: World Bank, Migration and Remittances Factbook, 2011. Available at: http://data.worldbank.org/data-‐catalog/migration-‐and-‐remittances 61 Data provided by the MHRR according to the host countries‘ agencies for statistics, 2010.

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their BiH diaspora. Switzerland will disclose comprehensive information in the

framework of the already existing migration partnership.62

Some general data on the diaspora’s skills level is available. The MHRR

reports a very high percentage of BiH migrants with tertiary education in the US

(around 35%) and in the Scandinavian countries (around 25%). These high

figures are not surprising as 23.9% of the tertiary-‐educated population left BiH

in 2000.63 It is also known that the skills level of the BiH diaspora in European

countries is much lower due to earlier low-‐skilled labour migration (during the

so-‐called “Gastarbeiter-‐Ära”) from former Yugoslavia, and a big share of 1992-‐

1995 war refugees from all social backgrounds. The percentage of tertiary-‐

educated BiH migrants is therefore lowest in Slovenia, Germany, Austria and

Switzerland (not more than 5%).

The MHRR is relatively well informed about diaspora organizations64 and

their connection to BiH. It reports that the diaspora members are mostly weakly

organized and not very active. This is also the case in Switzerland. A lot of people

do not belong to any association at all. Most organizations do not meet on a

regular basis and have outdated or no websites at all65. No big Bosnian diaspora

association or umbrella organizations exist, as is the case in some other host

countries with a large Bosnian diaspora (e.g. in the Netherlands66). At least, there

are active information portals67, which can be useful to reach out to the diaspora

population.

62 The emerging concept of „migration partnerships“ seeks to balance responsibility and benefits of migration more evenly between source, transit and destination countries. More information and case studies from the US, Europe (including Switzerland) and Africa analysing various initiatives and programmes can be found in the following book: Kunz, Rahel; Lavenex, Sandra; Panizzon, Marion (Ed.) (2011): Multilayered Migration Governance – The Promise of Partnership. Routledge, 324 pages.

63 World Bank, Migration and Remittances Factbook, 2011. Available at: http://data.worldbank.org/data-‐catalog/migration-‐and-‐remittances 64 The type of existing organizations has significant policy implications. See for example: Pinto-‐Dobernig, Ilse (Ed.) (2006): Engaging Diasporas as Development Partners for Home and Destination Countries – Challenges for Policymakers. IOM Migration Research Series, No. 26. Available at: www.iom.int 65 There used to be, for example, one students association, whose website (www.absis.ch) is not accessible anymore. 66 As mentioned on www.plbih.info/cms/Holandija.811.0.html umbrella organizations exist in the Netherlands, as well as rather big science and business associations connecting interested diaspora academics and entrepreneurs. 67 E.g. www.camo.ch, www.ambasador.ch, www.plbih.info/cms/Svicarska.819.0.html

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Most of the Bosnian diaspora associations/organizations in Switzerland

are separated in BiH’s three ethnic groups (Muslim Bosniacs, Orthodox Serbs and

Catholic Croats). According to the MHRR, only one organization68 (out of 45) is

multiethnic; the majority is Bosniac, while a lot of Bosnian Croats and Serbs join

organizations from Croatia or Serbia, respectively. Alic Nedzad, editor of a

newspaper for the Bosnian diaspora in Switzerland69, confirms: “It is difficult to

unite the exile community in Switzerland.”70 Thus, one of the few active

organizations71 aims at promoting the Muslim culture, while the membership in

the hometown association Majevica72 and the youth association BKC Kula73 is

mainly motivated by the same place of origin.

THE CHALLENGE OF “MOBILIZING” THE DIASPORA

While the existence of migrants’ associations and organizations show that

certain ties to the homeland exist, the extent to how strongly diaspora members

feel connected to their home country and the degree to which they are willing to

contribute is another question. Hence “the process of how people […] came to be

part of a diaspora population is an important element in their links to their

homeland and their willingness to support its development”.74 The “old”

diaspora with a guest worker background might have considerably different

motives, characteristics and ties than the “new” diaspora, having mainly a

refugee background or having left the country recently, e.g. for studying.

Informal talks, for instance, showed a complex picture: a former guest worker

from Banja Luka, for example, regularly visits his home region (now belonging to

the RS), but is not emotionally bound to BiH as a country. He is well integrated in

68 The MHRR does not mention the organization’s name, but „Matica Bosanska“ (www.matica-‐bih.org) states being ethnically, religiously and politically independent. 69 Sadly, since mid 2011, the newspaper SwissBiH, which was intended to serve as a platform for exchange among all diaspora members with Bosnian origin living in Switzerland, does not exist anymore. 70 Interview accessible at: www.swissinfo.ch/ger/Specials/Die_Schweiz_und_die_Muslime/Im_Fokus/Islam-‐Debatte:_Man_sieht_nur,_was_man_sehen_will.html?cid=8719806 71 The “Associazione Culturale Bosniaca Bosona” is based in the Swiss Canton of Ticino and is dedicated to the promotion of the Muslim culture lived by the Bosniacs (www.bosona.ch). 72 The association „Udruženje Majevičana” is based in Wettingen, Switzerland, and established a diaspora fund in 2010 with the aim of the economic revival of the area of Majevica. As the region is appropriate for cultivating fruits, first investments will probably be done in this field (www.majevica.net). 73 http://bkc-‐kula.ch 74 The World Bank: Harnessing the Diaspora for Development in Europe and Central Asia, Migration and Remittances Peer Assisted Learning (MIRPAL) Discussion Series, September 22, 2011, p 3.

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Switzerland, supports the Serbian football team as he always has, and is not very

much interested in actively contributing to BiH’s development. An elderly

refugee woman with Swiss citizenship has still strong feelings for BiH and is well

linked with other diaspora members in Switzerland. The ties to her hometown

Mostar (now belonging to the FBiH) are strong, with many family members

already having returned. Even if she does not wish to return, she would love to

contribute to BiH’s development. A young woman, also with refugee background,

does not have strong ties to BiH as her hometown Brcko (now an independent

district in the North-‐East) has changed completely. In Switzerland she has no

Bosnian friends. In principal, she does not mind transferring her professional

(nursing) knowledge to others – be it in Bosnia or elsewhere. These three

examples already show the complexity of this issue. Some individuals are just

difficult to reach but would eventually like to become active, some can possibly

not be motivated, some are eager to contribute but do not know how etc.

Despite the varying degree of motivation and different ties of the

diaspora, the MHRR is reporting great interest in cooperation including

knowledge transfer.75 It is „confident that the Bosnian emigrants [...] maintain

strong links with BiH, and are willing to help BiH's development in both direct

[...] and indirect ways [...]“.

It is mainly the high qualified who have actively shown interest – and

have been involved76 – in cooperation. The recently implemented Brain Gain

Program (described above), for example, is based on the observation that many

of the emigrated young people and academics who work throughout the world at

universities or similar institutions, or as experts in relevant areas, would like to

transfer their experience and knowledge to BiH. The two founders of the local

NGO “Nasa Perspektiva” both belong to that group – young Bosnians who

graduated in the Netherlands, returned for an internship and finally stayed in

75 Application for TAIEX Workshop on ”Emigration Issues in the Western Balkans – Joint Approach to Linking Migration and Development of the countries of Origin”, submitted on 15 March 2011 by the Directorate for European Integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 76 There is a general policy bias on highly skilled migrants. „Interest in human capital should [however] involve movements of both skilled and unskilled migrants“ (Pinto-‐Dobernig, Ilse (Ed.) (2006): Engaging Diasporas as Development Partners for Home and Destination Countries – Challenges for Policymakers. IOM Migration Research Series, No. 26, p. 40. Available at: www.iom.int).

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BiH. They conducted a small research project and also arrived at the conclusion

that higher qualified diaspora members tend to be more open for cooperation. It

remains unclear if the other diaspora groups are less motivated or just difficult

to reach, e.g. due to lacking professional organizations, a much lower networking

tradition as for example among scientists and researchers, or limited use of the

internet.

In the specific case of vocational knowledge and skills transfer, lacking

awareness of the importance of such skills may additionally hinder diaspora

engagement. Several informal talks and daily project implementation have

shown that members of the diaspora must be sensitized to the importance of

their contribution, as they do not yet see themselves as valuable resource. This is

a result of the poor reputation of the vocational schools in BiH, which originates

from inadequate training, outdated infrastructure and the bleak employment

situation among graduates. Vocational schools are seen as “worst-‐case solutions”

if access to university, especially to the faculties of business and law, is denied.

Additionally, limited access to essential services and scattered

information provision can hinder diaspora engagement. A businessman from the

Bosnian diaspora in the Netherlands for example mentioned the problem of

limited capacities and knowledge of the Embassies in this regard. Embassy staff

is often not trained in dealing with diaspora issues. Getting relevant information

is time-‐consuming as there are many providers77. Improved access to services

and information would be important in order not to lose active participants and

interested people. And last but not least, diaspora organizations and individuals

might need inputs and support in order to implement their own projects or to

become active on an individual basis. The German GIZ for example supports

migrant organizations in Germany, which are often not well structured and

whose members usually lack expertise in project management78.

The reasons for limited commitment from the diaspora are therefore

manifold and include lacking motivation due to weak ties to BiH, ethnical

77 The MHRR, private employment services in BiH, diaspora organizations in the host countries, and development organizations in BiH and the host countries possibly provide relevant information. 78 www.gtz.de/en/themen/wirtschaft-‐beschaeftigung/28723.htm

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tensions, lacking awareness of the value of contribution, limited capacities as

well as insufficient support mechanisms. Diaspora engagement will always be a

balancing act between motivation and support. The concept of “mobilizing” the

diaspora (as proposed in the roadmap), however, is reflecting a top-‐down

approach with a strong attitude of expectation towards the diaspora.

Governments should therefore be careful not to make the diaspora feel like mere

cash cows.

CONCLUSION

The large Bosnian diaspora as well as the development needs of the country

make the topic of diaspora engagement crucial and its opportunities obvious (e.g.

filling the skills gap on the labour market through skills and knowledge transfer).

However, in order to effectively realize the ideas, the BiH government

must support the improvement of the relevant institutions and structures, e.g. by

creating a separate diaspora strategy and a Ministry for diaspora, by developing

a systematic approach towards diaspora engagement and by improving the

services of their embassies in this regard. The process of systematically

addressing the topic of diaspora engagement has started. It is now time to

critically assess ongoing and past initiatives and to check thoroughly the

effectiveness of outcomes (beyond the success of outputs) and the projects’

impact. On that basis, existing programmes can be adjusted and new ideas

developed to ensure that the approach towards diaspora engagement in BiH is

comprehensive and demand-‐driven.

Until now, research and programmes have focused mainly on the

academic diaspora and ignored skilled workers. This is understandable as the

discussion about brain drain and lacking competitiveness of the labour force is

mainly driven by the common opinion that the significant emigration of highly

skilled university graduates and scientists is the main problem.

However, a closer look at the diaspora and the needs of the labour market

in BiH highlights how important the inclusion of skilled workers in knowledge

and skills transfer programmes is: first, most of the diaspora members are not

academics. The existing diaspora-‐related initiatives in BiH therefore ignore a

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huge potential for knowledge and skills transfer. Second, one of BiH’s major

development challenges is the large skills gap on the labour market, linked with a

shortage of the provision of vocational and practical training. As Switzerland and

other countries with a strong vocational education system (e.g. Germany and

Austria) belong to the biggest host countries of BiH emigrants, it can be assumed

that a certain number of diaspora members have accumulated valuable skills in

order to fill these gaps. It could for instance be meaningful to transfer relevant

knowledge in order to strengthen institutional development within vocational

schools, and to increase practical skills of the labour force in BiH.

Even if all necessary institutions and structures are established and

functioning and the corresponding initiatives adapted and elaborated, the real

cooperation possibilities for BiH and its diverse diaspora remain unclear. To

what degree can the BiH government’s wish for diaspora contribution be

satisfied by individuals and organizations from the diaspora? After all, what are

the reasons for the lacking involvement of skilled workers and of their practical

knowledge? Is it the result of just picking low-‐hanging fruits (as academics are

easier to reach) or of a lack of interest from the other group? Is it because of the

brain gain discussion, which concentrates on persons with tertiary education

(eclipsing the others)? Or might the assumption be wrong and no diaspora

experts with the relevant skills are available? Or is a practical skills transfer

simply not feasible?

Those questions indicate the need for further research regarding the

effectiveness, scalability and sustainability of knowledge and skills transfer

programmes as well as the feasibility in the vocational field. They also indicate

the need to actively try to reach the skilled workers from the diaspora in order to

inform them about the importance of their contribution, and to motivate and

support them to become valuable agents of BiH’s economic development.

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ANNEX I – Acronyms and Abbreviations

ADA Austrian Development Agency BGP Brain Gain Program BHAAAS Bosnian-‐Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences BiH Bosnia and Herzegovina BMI Bosnian Herzegovinian Medical Initiative CDS Country Development Strategy EC European Commission EU European Union FBiH Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina FDI Foreign Direct Investment FZZZ Federal Employment Institute GDP Gross Domestic Product GFMD Global Forum on Migration and Development GIZ Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, German ILO International Labour Organization IOM International Organization for Migration IPA Instrument for Pre-‐Accession Assistance MDG-‐F Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund MFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs MHRR Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees MIDWEB Migration for Development in the Western Balkans NFAET Non-‐Formal and Adult Education and Training NGO Non-‐Governmental Organization ODA Official Development Assistance RCC Regional Cooperation Council RS Republika Srpska SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SEE South-‐East Europe SIDA Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency SME Small and Medium Enterprises TAIEX Technical Assistance and Information Exchange Instrument TOKTEN Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals TRQN Temporary Return of Qualified Nationals UNDP United Nations Development Programme US United States USAID United States Agency for International Development USD United States Dollars VET Vocational Education and Training VSD Vocational Skills Development WUS World University Service YERP Youth Employability and Retention Programme

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ANNEX II – Roadmap for Diaspora Engagement

Source: Newland, Kathleen (Ed.) (2010): Diasporas – New Partners in Global Development Policy, Washington, DC: Migration Policy Institute.

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ANNEX III – IOM implemented diaspora skills and knowledge transfer programmes in BiH

TOKTEN (Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals), in

cooperation with UNDP, 2003-‐2005

TOKTEN was initiated by UNDP in 1977 as one of the first programmes to

counter the effects of brain drain through knowledge and skills transfer from the

diaspora. Between 2003 and 2005, highly qualified diaspora specialists provided

voluntary short-‐term consultancy in BiH. The public and private sector thus

benefited from scientific, technological and socio-‐economic expertise not

immediately available in the country. Travel costs, accommodation and daily

allowance were covered by the project.

www.ilo.org/dyn/migpractice/migmain.showPractice?p_lang=en&p_practice_id=26

Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA). The MIDA Experience and Beyond – Operationalizing Migration for Development Across Regions. IOM International Organization for Migration, Switzerland, 2009.

TRQN (Temporary Return of Qualified Nationals), 2006-‐2011 (two phases)

The programme addressed the diaspora from a certain number of countries in

post-‐war reconstruction processes living in the Netherlands. The participants,

transferring knowledge to positions where expertise was lacking locally,

received logistic and financial support. Additionally, the project established

structures and networks for knowledge transfer and capacity building to match

demand and supply in the labour market. The government of the Netherlands

has funded the project.

www.iom.ba/TRQN.html

Migration for Development in Africa (MIDA). The MIDA Experience and Beyond – Operationalizing Migration for Development Across Regions. IOM International Organization for Migration, Switzerland, 2009.

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MIDWEB (Migration for Development in the Western Balkans), 2011-‐2012

The MIDWEB’s temporary and virtual return component builds on the TRQN

experience. It temporarily places higher educated professionals from the

Western Balkan countries living in the Netherlands, but also in Switzerland,

Austria, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. The project is demand-‐driven

and focuses on capacity building of local organizations in identified sectors. The

diaspora professionals receive logistic and financial support during their

assignment, which is on average 2 months. The European Commission finances

the project.

www.tvrmidweb.org/index.php?page=1

www.migrantservicecentres.org/index.php?page=405

www.ekapija.ba/website/bih/page/485419_en

YERP (Youth Employability and Retention Programme), 2010-‐2012

IOM implements the third outcome of the UNDP coordinated project, which is

not directly addressed at knowledge and skills transfer. Outcome 3 in fact aims at

fostering legal circular/temporary youth migration (introduction of migration

schemes, supporting outward-‐bound and returning youth, raising awareness and

building capacities) and at establishing a youth migration database. Funding is

provided through the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund (MDG-‐

F, Spanish Fund).

www.iom.ba/YERP.html

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