Introduction: a reflection on the causes and factors of migration 1. Redefining migration routes 2. The great escape 3. Migration to and through the Western Balkans and Albania 4. Albanian migration policies 5. Deterrence laboratories: the Italy-Albania agreement in the European context Conclusions: Albania’s “new frontier” and the political geography of mobility
Biography
Shkelzen Hasanaj is Researcher in General Sociology at the University of Siena and Lecturer at the Università degli Studi Internazionali di Roma (UNINT), Italy. His research focuses on international migration and mobility along the Balkan route, with a specific emphasis on Albania and on how the EU externalises migration governance and protection through Integrated Border Management in non-EU Western Balkan states. In 2024, he obtained the National Scientific Qualification as Associate Professor in Sociology (14/C1). He is a member of the Laboratory on Inequalities at the University of Siena and serves on the editorial board of Studime Sociale, published by the Albanian Institute of Sociology. He is also a member of the Italian Sociological Association (AIS). Since 2025, he has collaborated with AICCRE Toscana, providing scientific and strategic consultancy to the Presidency.
