Migration and Trans-local Entrepreneurs: Crossing the Borders of Formal Institutions and Informal Practices in Bosnia & Herzezgovina (Policy Paper)

In our research, we analyse the role of informal practices in relation to migration and diaspora investments in BiH by asking the following research questions: ˗ How have informal practices influenced migratory processes from and to BiH? - How do informal networks operate across different borders with regard to the BiH diaspora and within the state? Our findings reveal a broad trend among members of the BiH diaspora investing in their homeland by utilising informal practices and networks. The findings also indicate that members of the BiH migrant groups/diaspora primarily engage and seek engagement with specific localities, communities and issues that derive from their pre-migration places and social networks. In most cases, when engaging in transactions with and investment in their local communities, they rely on the pre-existing social networks, kinship and informal connections that often run across different ethnicities and nation state borders. Unlike the traditional form of linear economic migration and returnas has been the case with Gastarbeiter (guest workers), who went to earn money overseas and after accumulation of sufficient capital would permanently return homecontemporary migrants from BiH often only partially return to their hometowns as investors, while continuing to run successful business in the countries of their settlement/immigration. In the process of establishing and operating their businesses at both ends, they heavily rely on their informal networks. These new trans-local entrepreneurs tend to engage in a certain degree of informality, sometimes strategically circumventing the formal system, as a way to ensure the survival of their businesses. In addition to extended family networks, our findings emphasize the importance of informal local and regional affiliations with respect to emigration, return and business networks.