The case study in front of you represents the result of an in-depth analysis of the issue of youth migration, recognized as a significant problem within the Serbian community in Kosovo.
Occasional youth migrations exist within every generation; however, the novelty in this case, and a concerning aspect, is the fact that leaving from northern Kosovo was the choice for more than 60% of students from the Gymnasium in North Mitrovica.
In the 2020 generation, out of a total of 40 students (21 in natural sciences and mathematics, 19 in social sciences and humanities), 25 left Kosovo (17 from the natural sciences and mathematics track, 8 from the social sciences and humanities track). The proportions of this phenomenon are most illustrative in the case of the 4/1 class of the natural sciences and mathematics track of this generation, which is what specifically motivated this research. In that class, out of a total of 21 students, 17 left Kosovo. These figures, alongside understanding the negative consequences of migrations, served as the initial motivation to present the case of the 2020 generation within this case study.
Although opportunities for better education in Serbia were the initial driver of this migration, a multitude of factors with a cumulative effect on the departure of young people from northern Kosovo were detected. A series of factors influencing reduced opportunities for economic self-reliance among the youth (employment through nepotism, corruption, an unfriendly job market for young people), political factors (security, stability, politically unstable situation), as well as sociological factors (quality of education, everyday life), influenced their decisions to leave.
The uniqueness of this study lies in the fact that young people from the 2020 generation had the opportunity to express their views, opinions, and evaluations through interviews, which contributed to the development of the case study as an authentic and organic testimony of the issues leading them to leave northern Kosovo, despite the positive sentiments connecting them to that area.
The entire study is available HERE.
