For the seventh year in a row, the Riga City Council hosted the event “Riga – My Home,” which brings together Riga residents who have returned to live in Riga over the past year.
“An increasing number of residents are choosing to return to the city, confirming that Riga and Latvia offer values that make people want to live here. The experience Riga residents have gained abroad can also contribute significantly to Riga’s development, which is why it is particularly important. In this way, too, we can build an even better Riga—a city where people can raise children, work, and spend their free time meaningfully,” emphasizes Riga City Council Chairman Viesturs Kleinbergs.
The goal of the event over the years has been to foster a sense of belonging to Riga among returnees, to provide an opportunity to meet, get to know one another, hear various stories of experience, and learn about the services the municipality provides to Riga residents.
This year, the event was attended by Riga residents who have returned to live in Riga from the United Kingdom, the United States, Brazil, Denmark, France, Ireland, Russia, Canada, Kuwait, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Finland, and Germany. In total, over the past seven years, more than 280 compatriots have participated in the “Riga – My Home” event.
According to statistics provided by the Riga Planning Region, nearly one-third of compatriots returning to Latvia each year after living and working abroad move to Riga. Last year, 2,200 compatriots from abroad joined the ranks of Riga residents. The year before that, nearly 3,000 people moved there.
“The numbers show that people like Riga. As a remigration coordinator, I work with nearly 300 of our compatriots abroad every year who are planning to move to Riga. People are returning to Riga from all over the world. The desire to live in one’s homeland is stronger than the turbulent geopolitical situation. “In collaboration with Riga municipal authorities, we work together to address the interests of our compatriots, and we’re succeeding—people are returning to Riga,” says Daina Šulca, remigration coordinator for the Riga Planning Region.
Event participants had the opportunity to attend a lecture by Baiba Žiga, founder of “Impulsum,” work culture strategist, and certified coach, on psycho-emotional burnout and techniques for overcoming it.
Anna Lūse, head of the association “With Global Experience in Latvia,” and Kaspars Gailītis, board member of the Riga Neighborhoods Alliance and deputy head of the Mežaparks Development Association, spoke about opportunities for Riga residents to actively participate in activities organized by the associations.
Meanwhile, Mārtiņš Pakalniņš, Senior Project Manager of the Investment Attraction Division at the Investment Management Department of the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency (RITA), introduced attendees to the diaspora relocation support program implemented by the Riga City Council. Daira Bite, Neighborhood Coordinator at the Imanta branch of the Riga Neighborhood Residents’ Center, shared her experience on how neighborhood coordinators help Riga residents resolve issues that are important to them in their daily lives.
The event “Riga – My Home” was organized by the Riga Neighborhood Residents’ Center in collaboration with the Riga Planning Region and partners.