Entrepreneurship as a mode of integration: Experiences of former refugees in Belgrade, Serbia

Abstract

This paper is exploring refugee entrepreneurship as a possible mode of integration in the host society. Since integration is complex and dynamic process we use multidisciplinary perspective on migration. The paper is based on the qualitative research through three focus group discussions with former refugee entrepreneurs from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia in Belgrade. They are co-ethnic migrants who make the vast majority of population that fled to Serbia in the 1990s from the former Yugoslav republics. The findings give insight into insertion of former refugees into the labour market through self-employment and entrepreneurship. It centres on the small business development strategies through three topics: the market opportunities and motives for entering into entrepreneurship, human capital and social networks and institutional and societal environment. We find that for starting and developing businesses, which is an emergency solution, the focus group participants mostly rely on family members and refugees’ social networks. Later strategies of the entrepreneurship development that significantly use market opportunities, access to open market and transnational activities, have been also outlined.

Keywords

• integration
• refugee entrepreneurs
• small business development strategies
• social networks
• Serbia