On 18 September 2026, the UK Remigration and Entrepreneurship Forum will take place at Daugavas Vanagi Foundation’s London House. As part of the forum, the Riga Planning Region Remigration Think Tank 2026 will be held. Traditionally the region’s annual remigration event, the think tank is moving to London this year — closer to the diaspora and closer to fellow Latvians living abroad.
The forum is organised by the Latvian Business Club in the UK, the Daugavas Vanagi Foundation in the UK, the Riga Planning Region, the Latvian Representation in the United Kingdom, and EsiLv.
Edīte Malvesa Browell, Member of the Board of the Daugavas Vanagi Foundation and Head of the Latvian Entrepreneurs’ Club in the UK:
“This is the first year of the forum, and we very much hope that it will develop into an annual event that will bring the diaspora closer to Latvia and encourage people to return, promote entrepreneurship and growth in both directions, facilitate the transfer of knowledge and experience, and increase investment.The Latvian diaspora abroad is a living, constantly changing community. New challenges and opportunities arise both for those living abroad and for those who have decided to return home, whether sooner or later. Changes in legislation following Brexit have created new circumstances and challenges. The geopolitical situation in Latvia’s neighbouring countries, and now more broadly across the world, has slowed down decisions to return home. One of the key objectives of the UK Remigration and Entrepreneurship Forum is to reignite the idea of returning to Latvia. Therefore, one of the forum’s working sessions will be the Riga Planning Region Remigration Think Tank, which is moving from Riga to London this year. The idea of organising a joint event emerged and developed in cooperation with Daina Šulca, Remigration Coordinator of the Riga Planning Region. The key issues we will discuss include the return of Latvians and their entrepreneurship in Latvia — whether the experience they gained abroad has helped them, to what extent the knowledge acquired abroad can be applied in Latvia, and whether employers in their respective sectors value the knowledge and experience gained overseas. We will also try to determine whether Latvians living in the UK are interested in starting a business in Latvia.”
Daina Šulca, Remigration Coordinator of the Riga Planning Region:
“The Remigration Think Tank will take place for the seventh time this year, and this time it will be held in London. I view this very positively, as the change of location brings new perspectives to the remigration process and allows us to gain a deeper understanding of the needs of our fellow Latvians and to better understand their situation in their host country. The opportunity to move the think tank from Riga to London is largely thanks to diaspora organisations and their representative, Edīte Malvesa Browell. In London, we will continue the tradition of the Riga Planning Region think tank by providing expert answers to current questions and listening to people’s experiences and stories of returning to Latvia. The target audience of the think tank will specifically be our fellow Latvians living in the UK. We will provide information on what documents need to be arranged before returning to Latvia, how a pension earned in the UK can be transferred to Latvia, and what the most challenging remigration issues have been so far. Participants will also have the opportunity to hear about the practical experience of a remigrant from the UK who has started a business in Latvia — including how easy or difficult it is to establish a company in Latvia. Bringing the Remigration Think Tank to Latvians in their country of residence is another step towards achieving better results. The UK is particularly important to us, as the largest number of returning Latvians come from the United Kingdom. The Riga Planning Region’s involvement in organising the UK Remigration and Entrepreneurship Forum demonstrates the importance of the remigration function, as well as the strong and forward-looking cooperation with diaspora organisations.”
Registration
To participate in the forum, please register by sending your details to:
UK Remigration and Entrepreneurship Forum
Venue: London Latvian House, 72 Queensborough Terrace, London Date: 18 September 2026 Time: 18:00–22:00
PROGRAMME
1. Opening
2. Current developments in the remigration process
Return stories
Discussions and Q&A: Current developments in Latvia’s regions — remigration coordinators
Opportunities and challenges
3. Riga Planning Region Remigration Think Tank 2026
4. Entrepreneurship, employment opportunities, careers and pension issues
5. Networking and individual consultations with regional remigration coordinators on remigration-related matters
Forum moderator: Edīte Malvesa Browell
During the forum: Meetings with Latvian diaspora organisations in the UK and their members. Express presentation on compulsory military service.