In a report from Macedonia, the French news agency AFP reports on the devastating effect of emigration from the Balkans. The agency reports from Valandovo, a small city in the south of Macedonia, where people survive on meagre farming incomes and most young people look for a way out.

Five of my friends from our class of 20 students have already moved abroad with their families, Bojan Nikolov (24), a member of the youth municipal council in Valandovo, told AFP.

Apostol Simovski, head of the State Statistics Bureau of Macedonia, says that about a quarter of all citizens have left Macedonia, from a high of 2.4 million.

The report is available in full, here.