Circular and return migrations: Comparative analysis of experiences of Bulgaria, Estonia, and Ireland

In recent years, the issue of migration in Serbia has been approached fatalistically, often with inaccurate information being presented in order to create an image that the most talented individuals are leaving the country. However, the reality is different: the educational structure of those who leave the country is similar to that of the domestic population. Despite this, pressure from the public has influenced decision-makers, leading to the adoption of the first migration strategy in 2019, which focused almost entirely on ways to prevent population outflows. The Strategy on Economic Migrations for the period 2021-2027, adopted later, softened the tone of the first version of the document, but the measures taken out of concern for the so-called “brain drain” phenomenon aimed to encourage the return of highly educated individuals to Serbia.

In this study, migration flows in three European Union member states – Bulgaria, Estonia, and Ireland – are analyzed. The reasons for choosing these three countries, whose experiences in attracting returnees we want to examine, stem from the idea of focusing on countries that are closer to Serbia in terms of income level, so it was natural to look for candidates among Central and Eastern European countries. We wanted one country that is similar to Serbia in socio-economic indicators, which is why Bulgaria was chosen, and Estonia was chosen because it is cited as a success story in several areas – digitalization of public administration, which could introduce us to some useful solutions for attracting returnees, as well as impressive economic recovery after the 2008 crisis. We chose Ireland because it is traditionally an emigrant country, and we wanted to see if the reasons for return and state measures to attract returnees differ in the case of wealthier and more developed countries. In this study, migration trends are discussed within each country, with a focus on the last few decades. Then, the current institutional structure dealing with migratory movements, as well as measures to support returnees, are considered.