Personal Futures and Collective Visions: Youth Migration Governance in North Macedonia

This essay examines how young people in North Macedonia imagine staying, leaving or returning, and how these futures are shaped by governance, labour-market opportunities, environmental conditions, digital public services and participation. Drawing on interviews and foresight workshops, it finds that personal migration trajectories are diverse and uncertain, while collective expectations converge around meritocracy, transparency, institutional trust and meaningful involvement in policymaking. The essay argues that migration governance should address shared structural conditions through cross-sectoral, anticipatory and participatory policy design, including digital reform and the integration of incoming skilled workers.