2023-04-23 09:17:12
A survey conducted by the Employment Service in 2020 showed that as many as 40.5 percent. of Lithuanian citizens who emigrated are considering returning to their homeland. The most motivating reasons for returning are: relatives, own language and improving economic situation. But the main motivation for returning home is a job that pays well and is enjoyed.
Change in the number of permanent residents
After the pandemic ended, the number of emigrants considering returning to Lithuania increased even more. Such impressions were brought by the last meetings with Lithuanian communities of the team of the Return Migration Initiative of the Employment Service “Maybe to Lithuania”. For participants of this project, events, discussions and career fairs are organized both remotely and in real life. Emigrants receive all the latest information on job vacancies currently available on the domestic labor market, retraining opportunities, social guarantees provided, and living and working conditions in Lithuania.
– During communication with Lithuanian citizens living abroad, as well as during meetings with Lithuanian circles, it became clear that compatriots living in Great Britain, Norway and Ireland are most interested in information about returning to Lithuania and the labor market in the country. It is observed that since 2019 there have been no changes in the three countries from which Lithuanian citizens most often decide to return to their homeland. Last year, the largest number of Lithuanian citizens returned from Great Britain (5,684), Norway (1,546) and Germany (1,369) – explains Milda Jankauskienė, spokesperson of the Employment Service in an interview with “Kurier Wileński”.
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The last time a negative migration balance of Lithuanian citizens was recorded in 2019. Then 24,510 Lithuanian citizens left the country and 20,412 arrived. Last year, due to the appearance of war refugees from Ukraine in Lithuania, the total population increased by 54,000. – informed the National Data Agency in January.
January 1 this year 2 million 860 thousand people lived in Lithuania permanent residents. According to the agency, last year the change in the number of permanent residents was influenced by the increase in positive international migration due to the large number of war refugees from Ukraine – 72.4 thousand. more people returned to the country than emigrated. Meanwhile, the birth rate was negative – 18.4 thousand. more people died than children were born.
Read more: Re-emigration: most often people come back because they miss
Bureaucratic procedures are being simplified
The most frequently mentioned reasons for returning include: growing prospects in Lithuania, desire to return to the cultural and family environment, bad attitude towards migrants in the host country, unfulfilled dreams of earning a lot of money quickly, Brexit and the pandemic.
– Before returning to the country, compatriots are most worried about employment, whether they will find a suitable job, etc., as well as bureaucratic procedures, the purchase of flats and the integration of children in the education system – our interlocutor points out. – According to data from the Employment Service, the majority of returning Lithuanian citizens are men. Most registered people are between the ages of 30 and 49, with fewer young people under 29 and people over 50 says the spokesman.
Last year, 824 unemployed people registered with the Employment Service departments, indicating that they had recently lived and worked abroad. 22 percent of returnees were looking for a highly qualified job and wanted to work as managers, production managers, programmers. 42 percent was looking for a job for qualified employees, operators and service technicians. 31 percent – looked for unskilled work (unskilled transport and warehouse workers, cleaners of offices, hotels and other institutions, maids and helpers).
Read more: Lithuania recorded more deaths and fewer births. The demographic decline is deepening
There are also emotional reasons
In Lithuania, the situation on the labor market and work culture are generally improving – wages are rising, there is more and more foreign investment, new jobs are being created, more international companies are being established, and support for business creation is being provided. More and more attention is paid to the Lithuanian diaspora at the state level, initiatives and projects are being developed to disseminate information about the situation in Lithuania. Lithuanian citizens living abroad today have easier access to information that is important to them, and this contributes to the factors determining their return to their homeland.
Emotional reasons also make people return – longing for their loved ones and homeland, the ability to speak their native language, or simply returning to their place of birth.
– Returning to your homeland is as difficult as leaving it, and there are usually more questions than answers. Our goal is to inform about the situation on the Lithuanian labor market, present employment services and dispel established myths. In addition, after the pandemic and other geopolitical crises, the number of people considering returning to Lithuania increased – said Indrė Laučienė, head of the Department of International Cooperation.
The initiative team has already met with Lithuanian communities in Spain, the USA, Norway, Ireland and the UK. During the meetings, information on retraining, work culture, employers’ attitude towards returnees, and changes in salaries were the most interesting. The topics of discussion often went beyond the field of employment – questions were asked about education, social guarantees and even transport and communication.
One of the most important topics is the issue of recognizing competences or qualifications acquired abroad. Both job seekers and employees can apply for jobs organized by the Employment Service and, after passing theoretical and practical exams, receive a document confirming their vocational education in Lithuanian.
Lithuanian citizens living abroad can find information about their return on the website created especially for this initiative: galilietuva.lt. There are e.g. information on changes in salaries since 2015, job offers, news about the employment system in the country.
Read more: New migration trends in Lithuania
Article published in the magazine “Kurier Wileński” No. 15(43) 15-22/04/2023
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