In the first half of 2026, 37 families, or 130 people, returned to Kurzeme after living abroad. During the same period, a further 39 families, or 113 people, expressed an interest in considering a return, while the return migration coordinator of Kurzeme Planning Region prepared individualised offers for 94 families, or 273 people.
During this period, returnees most often chose Liepāja, Ventspils, as well as Tukums and Talsi municipalities as their place of residence in Kurzeme. These figures show that interest in returning to Kurzeme remains stable, while practical and timely information about opportunities in specific municipalities is becoming increasingly important for people – including housing, kindergartens and schools, employment opportunities, entrepreneurship, services for families and the organisation of everyday life.
“Every return story begins with the thought of home – with a wish for change, a different pace of life, or the feeling that the right moment has come to return to Latvia. Then come the practical questions – where to live, where children will study, how to find a job, how to arrange documents and how to reintegrate into everyday life in Latvia. These are precisely the questions where the remigration coordinator can offer a helping hand, because practical matters can be resolved. The main thing is not to be afraid to start with the idea itself – I want to return home,” says Agnese Berģe, Regional Remigration Coordinator at Kurzeme Planning Region.
In total, since the launch of return migration support in March 2018 until the end of June 2026, 617 families, or 1,865 people, have returned to Kurzeme after living abroad. During this period, individualised offers have been prepared for 1,845 families, or 5,190 people, while a further 491 families, or 1,454 people, have expressed interest in the possibility of returning. Returnees most often choose Liepāja, Ventspils, as well as Tukums, Kuldīga and Talsi municipalities as their place of residence in Kurzeme.
In the first half of 2026, the work of the remigration coordinator in Kurzeme focused on providing individual support to people and families who are considering or already taking their first steps towards returning to Latvia. The coordinator cooperated with municipalities, state institutions and diaspora organisations, helping to address needs related to housing, employment, education, services for families and other everyday matters. Agnese Berģe also met with representatives of the diaspora in Denmark, presenting return opportunities in Kurzeme, and took part in events focusing on labour mobility and the promotion of return migration among young people.
Personal stories also play an important role in promoting return migration – real-life experiences of returning to Latvia. To encourage those who are still considering returning, the “Stories of Return” series has continued, featuring Deivids Stasjulis from Kurzeme, who, together with his wife Despina from Greece, chose to live in rural Kurzeme and uses his digital content to showcase Latvia’s countryside, its simplicity and authenticity.
“People who return bring new experience, knowledge and perspectives to Kurzeme. For some, the most important thing is for their children to grow up in a Latvian environment; for others, it is being close to family; while for someone else, it may be starting their own business or simply being closer to the beautiful nature of their homeland in everyday life. Our task is to stand alongside people and support them at the moment when they make an important decision to return to Latvia, as well as to help make this path clearer, more understandable and practically achievable,” emphasises Agnese Berģe.
About the work of remigration coordinators
If you have questions or need support in returning to your homeland and choosing Kurzeme as your place of residence, you are invited to contact the remigration coordinator. After identifying your needs, and in cooperation with municipalities and other state institutions, the coordinator will prepare an individualised offer and help find solutions to matters related to housing, education opportunities, employment and entrepreneurship, services for families, as well as social and everyday issues.
More information about the services provided by remigration coordinators and available support can be found on the new website https://www.remigracija.lv/en, which has been created as a single information platform for people considering a return to Latvia. More information about return migration in Kurzeme is available on the Kurzeme Planning Region website at www.kurzemesregions.lv/remigracija and on the Facebook page “Atgriežos Kurzemē”.
About Kurzeme Planning Region
Kurzeme Planning Region is one of the five planning regions of Latvia, established in June 2006 with the aim of ensuring regional development planning and coordination, as well as cooperation between municipalities and other public administration institutions. It consists of eight municipalities – two state cities, Liepāja and Ventspils, and six municipalities: Dienvidkurzeme, Kuldīga, Saldus, Talsi, Tukums and Ventspils municipalities. More information about Kurzeme Planning Region, its functions and implemented projects is available at: www.kurzemesregions.lv
For further information:
Agnese Berģe
Regional Remigration Coordinator
Kurzeme Planning Region
Email: koordinators@kurzemesregions.lv
