On 23 January 2024, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the Plan for Work with the Diaspora for 2024–2026 (hereinafter – the plan). Its aim is to move ahead with a common approach to the diaspora policy, defining the priority areas, objectives and deliverables of the policy implemented by Latvia’s public authorities. The plan contains a set of measures, their descriptions and information on the required public funding for their implementation from 2024 to 2026. This is already the second cross-sectoral policy planning document devised to achieve diaspora policy objectives set out in the Diaspora Law.
The main lines of action set out in the plan cover diaspora policy initiatives related to strengthening national identity and belonging to Latvia in culture, education, economy and science, civic and political participation. A separate task is to develop Latvia’s cooperation with researchers among the diaspora, which would promote knowledge transfer and international cooperation to enhance the excellence of Latvian science and stimulate a broader sharing of science infrastructure.
The action line No 4 in the Plan – Support for Remigration – is of particular importance. This includes not only continuation of the activities of regional coordinators, regional remigration support measures, provision of the Latvian language education for remigrants and promotion of integration of returnee pupils into the environment of the Latvian education system, but also informative seminars on issues of life and employment, entrepreneurship and recognition of professional qualification for remigrants. A number of important measures have been specified in the informative report “On a Remigration Support Measure – Business Support” approved by the Cabinet of Ministers at its meeting on 27 June 2023. In the document, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development proposes that the new employment support measure should be implemented as a local solution with substantial involvement of local governments, covering a significant number of municipalities, thereby strengthening the capacity of local governments in the field of entrepreneurship and employment promotion in general.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been designated as the competent authority for implementation of the plan in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Economics, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Welfare, the National Electronic Mass Media Council, the Public Integration Fund, the State Chancellery, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development.
The Diaspora Advisory Council at its meeting of 29 September 2023 supported the Plan for Work with the Diaspora for 2024-2026 at the concept level.
In order to implement the measures set out in the plan, line ministries and other institutions will be provided with the State budget resources allocated for 2024. The allocation of additional State budget funds for the measures envisaged in 2025 and subsequent years will be decided by the Cabinet in the course of drafting and examination of the Bill on the State Budget for 2025 and the Budget Framework for 2025, 2026 and 2027.