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On Thursday, 7 May, the Saeima endorsed the concept of the proposed Repatriation Law aimed at encouraging citizens of Latvia, as well as people of Latvian or Liv origin and their families to return to Latvia by offering them support for moving and settling in.

Maira Roze, Deputy Head of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, explained to the Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee, which is responsible for the Law, that the aim of the proposed Repatriation Law is to help re-emigrants and their families to make transition from former place of residence and to adapt to living in Latvia in the first months after relocating. Re-emigrant status will be granted for two years.

This new Law seeks to widen the scope of application by lifting former requirements targeting only two generations. It will also contain more precise definition of re-emigrant family members, by including partners, underage children and parents in re-emigrants’ care. 

The new Law will also specify the amount of financial support offered to re-emigrants by the government. Re-emigrants will be entitled to relocation allowance, monthly benefit, provided they are registered with the State Employment Agency as unemployed, and compensation of costs related to Latvian language courses. Authors of the Law intend to pay a relocation allowance in the amount of 500 euros and 250 euros monthly benefit. Precise amounts of allowances and benefits will be set out in a Cabinet of Ministers regulation.

According to authors of this legal act, adoption of the Repatriation Law would facilitate the implementation of the Re-emigration Support Action Plan.



Saeima Press Service