Rural Albanians abandon the countryside in search of work

Badi Tafaj, 20, threshes rye with her family near the village of Novosej, Albania. Tafaj says life in the village is very hard but leaving would be difficult for her since she feels a responsibility to help her parents. In the past year a wave of people have left villages in her region, looking for work in the European Union but many are sent back to Albania.

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Copyright: Elie Gardner
Image Size: 3600x2400 / 6.5MB; albania immigration village poverty european union farm country unemployment jobs economic migrant
Contained in galleries: Abandoning Rural Albania for Der Spiegel, Abandoning Rural Albania

Badi Tafaj, 20, threshes rye with her family near the village of Novosej, Albania. Tafaj says life in the village is very hard but leaving would be difficult for her since she feels a responsibility to help her parents. In the past year a wave of people have left villages in her region, looking for work in the European Union but many are sent back to Albania.