We Just Need a Chance!

Young People from the Polog Region Asking for Conditions to Stay, rather than Reasons to Leave.

“Every second friend of mine is already in Germany. I still doubt, I want to stay, but I don’t see any perspective”, says Arben, a 24-year old programmer from Tetovo, who faces the same question every day: if he should stay or leave. Most of his peers have already made the decision.

His story is not an isolated case. It shows the reality of thousands of young people from the Polog region who think about leaving every day. Behind the statistics there are human stories, hopes, disappointments and families who see their children off abroad.

Figures Speak, but People Speak Louder

The emigration of the young people is one of the most discussed phenomena in the society, which opens serious questions about the future of the country. According to the research The Situation and Reasons for the Migration of the Young People from the Polog Region, conducted in November 2024, as part of the project Youth Empowerment: Stimulating Civic Engagement and Entrepreneurship in the Polog Region, half of the young people in Polog (50.4%) think that leaving mostly happens immediately after the completion of secondary education. The responses came from 500 young people aged 15 to 29, surveyed via social media, high schools and faculties in Polog.

The main motives are clear: better living standard (80%) and better employment possibilities (78%). It is interesting that as many as 87.10% of the surveyed who emigrate are not members of political parties. This clearly indicates the fatigue of partization with the young people and the lack of trust in the political parties.

Unfortunately, the system sometimes discourages the young people, rather than supporting them, such as in the case of Ana, a 23-year old graduated economist who dreams of opening a marketing agency. When she made the first steps towards implementing this idea, she encountered obstacles.

“I have ideas and energy, but when I come to the municipality, I am lost in paper and bureaucracy. I feel as if I am told: ‘You’re not welcome’”, says she.

She is not the only one with such an impression. Many young people repeat the same message: “It is not only the salary. I want to work in a fair system, without political party membership cards and connections, I want to know that my work is valued.”

These voices confirm the reality, the young people do not leave because they want, but because they feel that they do not have a choice.

These challenges have been directly addressed by the project “Youth Empowerment: Stimulating Civic Engagement and Entrepreneurship in the Polog Region”, implemented by four organizations: ADI (Association for Democratic Initiative” Gostivar, Center for Education and Development Tearce, Institute for Leadership and Public Policies Tetovo and the Institute for Social Change InSoK Tetovo, with the support of Civica Mobilitas.

In 2025, in several municipalities in the Polog region, more than 150 young people sat at the same table with successful entrepreneurs and civil activists, for the first time and on equal grounds. Five networking events gave them something that they rarely find in their daily lives, a space to talk, share experience and create contacts for future initiatives.

Parallel to this, the young people also had two-day trainings on civic engagement and entrepreneurship, where they obtained practical leadership skills applicable in the real life. At the workshops on local civil advocacy, they learned how to raise their voice where the decisions are really made. At the public debates, the findings of the research on migration were openly discussed with the stakeholders. In Gostivar, there was a joint event to promote traditional crafts and values, while in Tearce the CSOs and local food producers gathered at one please. The idea of the implementing organizations of this project is to strengthen the leadership and entrepreneurial capacities of at least 190 young people from Polog, while the already prepared policy document with proposals for specific solutions to migration will be discussed with the local self-governments and relevant stakeholders in the region.

Business Sector and Municipalities, Key Is in Their Hands

In order to stay, the young people need specific conditions: stable and well-paid jobs, possibilities for professional development, inclusive work culture without party influence and support to startups and innovations.

“If we had funds for start-ups, many of us would stay. We do not ask for charity, but for a chance”, says Ana.

The municipalities in the Polog region have a crucial role in the creation of this climate via industrial zones, tax alleviations, investments in infrastructure and support of youth entrepreneurial initiatives. This role is also recognized by Azra Sadiki, a youth officer at the Municipality of Gostivar.

“We know that the young people are leaving. Unless we invest in them, we will have empty villages and cities. It is our task to give them a reason to stay”, she stresses.

Polog has a potential, but it needs to be recognized. Despite all the challenges, the Polog region hides significant potentials: favorable geographic position for regional trade, young population that can be the mover of changes, rich cultural diversity and natural resources for agrobusiness and eco-tourism.

“We have mountains, we have land, we have culture. We only need a system that will recognize it”, says Arben.

Creating better conditions for the business sector in the region is necessary in order to open attractive jobs and keep the young people. However, it requires political will and active role of the local self-government. Municipalities must not be only administrators, they should be real movers of economic development.

If the young people see perspective, they will stay. If not, they will continue to leave.

“I want to stay. I want us to build here, to live here. We just need a chance”, says Ana.