INSTITUTIONALISATION OF RETURN MIGRATION IN LATVIA: THE CASE OF REGIONAL COORDINATORS

Authors

  • Laura Prusakova University of Latvia (LV)
  • Māris Bērziņš University of Latvia (LV)
  • Elīna Apsīte-Beriņa University of Latvia (LV)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17770/sie2021vol6.6287

Keywords:

return migration, regional coordinators, qualitative approach, regions, interviews

Abstract

Emigration countries such as Latvia institutionally should address the negative consequences of the ageing populations' economic and demographic challenges. To this aim, in 2018 network of five regional return migration coordinators was established to foster and nationally encourage return migration. The primary function of the regional coordinator is to foster and facilitate requests of potential return migrants.

Drawing on interview materials collected in 2020 with return migration coordinators at the regional level – Latgale, Vidzeme, Zemgale, Kurzeme and Riga, we illustrate good-practice of return migration institutionalisation in Latvia.

Our study focuses on three main fields of interest within the work of regional return coordinators: 1) what are the typical return migration paths from the coordinators' perspective? 2) what are the main challenges in coordinators' work? 3) how education-related issues for return migrants are solved?

The research reveals that people typically return for family reasons and long for their homeland, traditions, and traditional settings. The research states that the main challenges coordinators' work relates to is the low standardisation level as each returnee's case is unique.

 

Supporting Agencies
The authors are grateful to the regional return migration coordinators. This work was supported by the ERDF grants 1.1.1.2/VIAA/1/16/184 and LZP-2020/2-0280 and National Research Program Project grant VPP-IZM-2018/1-0015.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Apsite-Berina, E., Bela, B., Berzins, M., Bite, D., Krisjane, Z., Krumins, J., Kruzmetra, Z. & Lubkina, V. (2021). Regional needs assessment: an approach to demographic and migration research. FOLIA GEOGRAPHICA, 5.

Apsite-Berina, E., Burgmanis, G., & Krisjane, Z. (2019). Return Migration Trends in Latvia: Re-attracting the Main Human Resource for Sustainable Regional Development. In Proceedings of the 12th International Scientific and Practical Conference. Volume I, Vol. 16, 19.

Apsite–Berina, E., Krisjane, Z., Sechi, G., & Berzins, M. (2018). Regional patterns of belonging among young Latvian returnees. In Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference' Economic science for rural development, No. 48.

Apsite‐Berina, E., Manea, M. E., & Berzins, M. (2020). The ambiguity of return migration: Prolonged crisis and uncertainty in the life strategies of young Romanian and Latvian returnees. International Migration, 58(1), 61-75.

Cassarino, J. P. (2004). Theorising return migration: The conceptual approach to return migrants revisited. International Journal on Multicultural Societies, 6(2), 253-279.

Cohen, N. (2009). Come home, be professional: ethno-nationalism and economic rationalism in Israel's return migration strategy. Immigrants & Minorities, 27(1), 1-28.

Coniglio, N. D., & Brzozowski, J. (2018). Migration and development at home: Bitter or sweet return? Evidence from Poland. European Urban and Regional Studies, 25(1), 85-105.

De Haas, H, Fokkema, T, Fihri, MF (2014) Return migration as failure or success? Journal of International Migration and Integration 16(2), 415–429.

Dustmann, C., & Weiss, Y. (2007). Return migration: theory and empirical evidence from the UK. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 45(2), 236-256.

Galgóczi, B., & Leschke, J. (2012). EU labour migration during the crisis–does increased labour mobility contribute to better labour allocation? Social Europe Journal, 7(1), 17-19.

Globali Utena. (2020). What is happening in a global utena society? Find out what kind of events related to global utena project are taking place in utena city or abroad. Globali Utena. Retrieved from https://globali.utena.lt/en/what-is-happening/

Haddad, M. (2020). When states encourage migration. The institutionalisation of French overseas-mainland migration and its effect on migrant selection. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 1-19.

Hazans, M. (2016). Migration experience of the Baltic countries in the context of Economic Crisis. Kahanec, M., Zimmermann, K. F. (eds.), Labor Migration, EU Enlargement, and the Great Recession. Berlin, Heidelberg, Springer, 1-5.

Jonkers, K. (2008). A comparative study of return migration policies targeting the highly skilled in four major sending countries.

Kļave, E., & Šūpule, I. (2019). Return Migration Process in Policy and Practice. Kaša, E., et al. (red.), The Emigrant Communities of Latvia. Nation Identity, Transnational Belonging, and Diaspora Politics. Riga, Springer, 261-283.

Krisjane, Z., Apsite-Berina, E., & Berzins, M. (2016). Circularity within the EU: the return intentions of Latvian migrants. In R. Nadler, Z. Kovács, B. Glorius, & T. Lang, (Eds.), Return Migration and Regional Development in Europe: mobility against the stream (pp. 215-240). London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Krisjane, Z., Apsite-Berina, E., Sechi, G., & Bērziņš, M. (2018). Juxtaposed intra-EU youth mobility: motivations among returnees to Latvia. Belgeo. Revue belge de géographie, 3, 1-16.

Lang, T., Glorius, B., Nadler, R., & Kovacs, Z. (2016). Introduction: Mobility Against the Stream? New Concepts, Methodological Approaches and Regional Perspectives on Return Migration in Europe. Nadler, R., et al. (eds.), Return Migration and Regional Development in Europe. Mobility Againsts the Stream. London, Springer Nature, 2-15.

Mieriņa, I. (2015). Ievads. Pētījuma aktualitātes pamatojums. Mieriņa, I. (red.), Latvijas emigrantu kopienas: Cerību diaspora. Rīga, Latvijas Universitātes Filozofijas un socioloģijas institūts, 5-11.

PAPS. 2020. Vides aizsardzības un reģionālās attīstības ministrijas un plānošanas reģionu īstenotais projekts “Reģionālais remigrācijas koordinators”. PAPS. Retrieved from: https://www.paps.lv/par-projektu/

The Cabinet of Ministers. (2013). The Cabinet of Ministers instruction no. 356 Par Reemigrācijas atbalsta pasākumu plānu 2013.-2016.gadam. Latvijas Vēstnesis, 150 (4956).

Zaiceva, A., & Zimmermann, K. F. (2016). Returning home at times of trouble? Return migration of EU enlargement migrants during the crisis. Kahanec, M., Zimmermann, K. F. (eds.), Labor migration, EU enlargement, and the great recession. Berlin, Heidelberg, Springer, 397-418.

Zaiceva, A., & Zimmermann, K. F. (2016). Returning home at times of trouble? Return migration of EU enlargement migrants during the crisis. In Labor migration, EU enlargement, and the great recession (pp. 397-418). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.

Zimmermann, K. F. (2005). European labour mobility: challenges and potentials. De economist, 153(4), 425-450.

Downloads

Published

2021-05-28

How to Cite

Prusakova, L., Bērziņš, M., & Apsīte-Beriņa, E. (2021). INSTITUTIONALISATION OF RETURN MIGRATION IN LATVIA: THE CASE OF REGIONAL COORDINATORS. SOCIETY. INTEGRATION. EDUCATION. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference, 6, 185-195. https://doi.org/10.17770/sie2021vol6.6287