Migrants return home to open businesses in Gjirokastra

TIRANA, May 24 – The financial crisis Greece has been experiencing during the past two years has caused many Albanian migrants, mainly from southern Albania, to return home and open their own businesses in Albania. Sources from the Gjirokastra Chamber of Commerce and Industry say some 48 new businesses have opened in the Gjirokastra region during the past 17 months– mainly by former migrants to Greece who returned to home after losing jobs and being unable to find new ones. Sources said that 25 of the businesses opened during the first five months of this year mainly operating in the production sector. Many of the businesses operate in garment and footwear production, where increased interest has been reported by domestic and foreign investors following a government decision to remove the 12.5 percent customs duty for this sector earlier this year.