Social exclusion among migrating communities: the case of Bathore, a suburb of Tirana

Social exclusion is a new paradigm; however, in the last decade, it has become a subject of major importance in contemporary social work and a core feature of social policy developments. Social exclusion is closely related to... [ view full abstract ]

Social exclusion is a new paradigm; however, in the last decade, it has become a subject of major importance in contemporary social work and a core feature of social policy developments. Social exclusion is closely related to individual participation (being economic, social or/and political), power, integration, and social capital rather than with solely economic income. This paper aims to further contribute in the area by looking at the issue of social exclusion among migrants. The target of our research is Bathore, one of the largest squatter settlements, formed in the early 1990s, in Albania. We explore on its socio-demographic characteristics as well as on the dimensions that social exclusion takes for the individuals of this migrating community. A cross-sectional survey was employed during 2012 to generate quantitative data from a sample of 600 household, out of a total of 6546. The descriptive dimension of the study pictures the profile of Bathore population. The explanatory dimension aims at identifying the relations among a selected set of indicators including individual capabilities, economic status and role of social capital - measured as frequency of participation in social and kinship networks. It is found that education is a key factor in social, cultural and political participation. Education is also crucial for the overall socialization process. Findings show that in terms of social capital primary networks (family/kinship) predominate over secondary networks (friends and acquaintances). Poverty is a key word and unemployment is often a precondition for social exclusion. However, even when employed, incomes are insufficient to cover individual and family needs. Permanent unemployment deprives individuals from social participation. We conclude highlighting the main determinants of social exclusion for this migrant population – employment, education, and civic/cultural participation. Finally, the paper provides a set of recommendations for policy-making and further research in the area.