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Economic reasons behind large-scale emigration from Lithuania: PM

Xinhua, April 4, 2017 Adjust font size:

The Lithuanian government plans to implement measures to prevent more citizens from leaving the country, citing social exclusion and lack of economic security as main reasons for the large-scale emigration.

Speaking on Monday in the Seimas, Lithuanian parliament, Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said: "One of the most important priorities for our government is increasing people's income and reducing social exclusion."

Skvernelis said that tackling emigration required concrete initiatives rather than setting up new working groups or commissions.

Meanwhile, some lawmakers from the country's ruling coalition called for a national agreement on emigration prevention.

Ramunas Karbauskis, the leader of ruling Lithuanian Peasants and Greens Union (LZVS) told local media there would be a new agreement initiated among political parties and non-governmental organizations to improve the demographic situation.

A day earlier, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite urged for coordinated state and local authorities' efforts in order to supply the returned emigrants with necessary information on a wide range of issues, from the tax system to finding a place to live.

"It is state's duty to notice these people (returned emigrants) and provide them with the initial assistance," Grybauskaite was quoted as saying in a press release.

Currently, the efforts aimed at keeping returned emigrants in Lithuania have been fragmented, the president noted. On Monday, the head of state was visiting a successfully working vegetable farm established by a Lithuanian who had returned to the country.

According to data presented at Seimas on Tuesday, Lithuania's population in the last 25 years has decreased by a quarter. The number of residents fell by one percent on a yearly basis, one of the worst indicators in the European Union.

Data from Lithuania Statistics, the country's official statistical bureau, showed that 50,000 Lithuanians emigrated in 2016, while only 14,000 repatriated. Endit