Constituting the diaspora – Montenegro and Scotland compared

This paper examines how Montenegro’s multiethnic composition challenges traditional diaspora engagement frameworks that prioritise ancestry and ethnicity. In Montenegro, where no ethnic group forms a majority (its composition is 41.1% Montenegrin, 32.9% Serb, 9.45% Bosnian, 4.97% Albanian and 0.8% Croat), migrants often identify with specific ethnic diasporas rather than a unified national diaspora. We argue that ethnicity-centred diaspora frameworks are ill-suited to small, multiethnic states because they exclude significant populations who maintain substantive connections to the homeland but do not identify with the majority ethnic group. Through a comparative analysis with Scotland’s civic-affinity model, this study demonstrates how inclusive frameworks foster stronger connections between multiethnic states and their global populations. Drawing on document analysis from both countries, we propose adjusted definitions and engagement strategies that acknowledge Montenegro’s demographic reality. The findings contribute to diaspora studies by illustrating how civic-affinity approaches can enhance cultural, social and economic engagement beyond narrowly defined ethnic boundaries in multiethnic states.