Albanian immigration to Greece: Diffusion and dispersion in urban area: The case of Thessaloniki

Abstract

Albanian immigration in Greece could be qualified as singular, given its ample repartition throughout the national territory, which is not the case for other migrant groups that tend to be concentrated in specific areas, in particular, in the Athenian agglomeration. This "exemplary" migration seems to generate comparable patterns even within the urban space. The object of this paper will be to relate these two portrayals of Albanian migration: within both the national Greek territory and the urban space, through the example of Thessaloniki. Our objective will thus be to illustrate Albanian households’ repartition in Thessaloniki and to compare their spatial distribution with the distribution of other migrant groups. In this way, we will be able to demonstrate the spatial pattern that Albanian migration takes on in Thessaloniki, as well as to reveal the Albanian immigrants’ mode of territorial insertion.

Keywords

• international migrations
• immigration country
• neighbourhood /colonies/ ethnic enclaves
• spatial segregation
• repartition/ diffusion