Albania is experiencing a rapid and unusual increase in the number of foreign nationals, quietly transforming from a country of emigration into a host country—without a public debate or a clear state strategy to manage this shift.
By the end of 2025, more than 27,500 foreign citizens were living in Albania with residence permits, marking a 22% increase compared to the previous year. Notably, 65% of these permits were issued for employment purposes, a direct indicator of Albania’s growing domestic labor shortage and the continued outflow of Albanian workers abroad.
The structure of immigration has changed significantly. While citizens from Kosovo and Italy remain present, the most striking growth now comes from India, the Philippines, and Egypt. These groups are predominantly employed in low-wage sectors such as services, hospitality, construction, and agriculture. The number of workers from India and the Philippines alone increased by over 100% within a single year, signaling not a temporary fluctuation, but a systematic replacement of local labor with non-EU migrant workers.
The trend is further reinforced by a 47% increase in new residence permit applications in 2025, suggesting that labor-driven immigration is becoming a structural feature of Albania’s economy, rather than a short-term response to seasonal demand.
Yet, this transformation is unfolding in a policy vacuum. Albania lacks a comprehensive immigration and integration framework, effective labor market controls, and transparent assessments of the social and economic impact of this demographic shift. There is little public discussion about integration, workers’ rights, wage pressures, housing demand, or the long-term implications for social cohesion.
Without proactive governance, Albania risks facing new social tensions, informal labor expansion, and distortions in the labor market, particularly in the medium term. The growing reliance on low-cost foreign labor may temporarily sustain certain industries, but it also raises critical questions about wages, productivity, and the sustainability of an economic model built on labor substitution rather than structural reform.
Albania’s transition into a host country is no longer hypothetical—it is already happening. What remains uncertain is whether the state will continue to manage this reality silently and reactively, or whether it will finally open a transparent public debate and develop a coherent strategy that balances economic needs with social stability.