The direction is changing: migrants return home

Comforting the city

The direction of those seeking a better life is changing in favor of Panevėžys. It is estimated that in five years the flow of returnees from abroad to the capital Aukštaitija has increased by almost 90%. Specialists motivate that jump with increased job opportunities, a greater appeal of the city and affordable housing. However, most ex-emigrants mention another crucial motive: longing for their home and loved ones.

Starting this fall, Laura Dulevičienė is feeling a little more comfortable in Panevėžys. After seven years in Norway, the woman and her family returned to Lithuania. Laura is from Tauragė and Panevėžys has been a completely strange city for her until now. But her husband was born and raised here.

“The man planned to start his own business, and it is better to do it when the environment is familiar, but he can always ask for the help of relatives”, Laura mentions the main reasons that led to the decision to settle in Panevėžys.

The family returned to Lithuania in a thankless period of pandemic. However, this did not hamper the former migrant’s business plans to open his own auto repair shop. L. Dulevičienė jokes that machines break down even during quarantine, so the spouse always has a job. She is a hairdresser by profession and is in no rush to get back on the job market. After all, there are three children at home, the two youngest of whom just started kindergarten this fall.

“I help my husband a little and I keep accumulating to go back to work. There is anxiety about how to find your customer base. But first I need to tame Panevėžys, ”says Laura.

Spontaneously decided

According to L. Dulevičienė, the eldest son, who left for Norway after finishing only the first grade in Lithuania, had no problem integrating into the Lithuanian school when he returned to Panevėžys. The family always communicated only in Lithuanian, the son read books in Lithuanian.

“Maybe a lot depends on the child, if he wants to study. At least in our case, there were no problems,” said the mother.

The only thing that still surprises ex-emigrants is the local communicative culture. In Norway, according to L. Dulevičienė, the thickness of the position and the wallet are not important at all, they are all treated equally, both with the banker and with the cleaner. Former emigrants felt that this division was still very clear in Lithuania.

“That culture of disrespect and communication is the weak side of Lithuanians. But the most important thing is that now we are all together. The main reason for the return is the longing for the family. And the children were unlucky enough to grow up without the love of their grandparents. During the year, we arrive at best for a three-week vacation. To have a solid connection, it takes much more time, ”says L. Dulevičienė.

Among her friends are several emigrants who, according to Laura, have also decided to return to Lithuania in recent years.

“You can never spit in a well. We ourselves once said that we would not return to Lithuania, but we went out in another way. It occurred to us during the New Year, and already in May we left Norway with all the things. Sometimes even these decisions are made on the spur of the moment, ”smiles L. Dulevičienė.

Emigration: just an experience

Kamilė Niunevaitė, communication specialist, has been creating life in Panevėžys for a couple of years. After graduating from Great Britain, he decided to return to his native Panevėžys, although he hoped to have greater career prospects abroad. Kamil is convinced that if one person wants to, wealth can be created anywhere.

“I always planned to go to England just to study, to gain knowledge and experience so that I could apply it when I returned to Panevėžys. Yes, there are greater prospects in Britain, but if you are educated, you are smart enough, good living conditions can be created anywhere, and why not in your hometown? ”- says K. Niunevaitė.

Another reason that led her to return to Panevėžys is the desire for the daughter to grow up in an environment where the mother tongue is spoken, where the love of grandmothers and relatives is involved. According to the former emigrant, the help of grandparents in raising children is invaluable. Furthermore, she is convinced that Panevėžys has the same prospects as other cities. Although Camille returned during the first wave of the pandemic, that did not stop her from finding work in her hometown.

“Maybe I was lucky because I got the job quite easily. The most important thing is to be able to find a balance between personal life and work, which is now so poor for everyone,” said K. Niunevaitė.

Notice that more and more young people return to Panevėžys not only from abroad, but also from major Lithuanian cities. Panevėžys is attractive for its compactness; here, it can be said that everything is within reach.

“It is even more motivating, because the more young people come back, the more the city will grow. I think there will be many jobs not only for engineering specialists, but also for representatives of the creative industries who will find a place here,” sees the perspective K. Niunevaitė.

Extensive employment opportunities

Monika Miniotaitė, director of the Panevėžys Development Agency, believes that the attractiveness of Panevėžys for migrants is determined by several reasons: the adaptation of the city to the family, the creation of excellent conditions for high-quality educational services that foster a culture western labor.

Panevėžys is one of the strongest industrial cities in Lithuania, so even during the pandemic, manufacturing companies operated unchanged and the need for workers increased even more. A strong industry, which generates a third of the region’s gross domestic product, is a great advantage for Panevėžys.

“If even for a person from Norway, our city and its opportunities seem attractive and fascinating, apparently we really have something to offer,” emphasized M. Miniotaitė.

According to Jūratė Raukštienė, director of business environment projects at the Panevėžys Development Agency, both internal and external migration indicators in Panevėžys have been positive over the past five years. According to her, it is noted that the opportunities for interested parties to return have increased significantly.

“If we compare Panevėžys with other big cities, we may not raise our nose that high, but the indicator of return to our city is really positive, it is very rewarding,” says J. Raukštienė.

There are many reasons to return

A survey conducted by the Development Agency last year revealed that many returnees choose Panevėžys because it is their hometown or regional center. On the list of reasons favorable to Panevėžys, there are many indicators: relatives living here, the educational system and others.

“I had a lot of communication with young families. Our educational system is also cited as one of the reasons for returning. It is emphasized that it is very important that children know their mother tongue, which is why a large number of migrants return precisely when children need start going to school, ”says J. Raukštienė.

In the 2020-2021 school year, 26 preschool-age and 58 school-age youth from Panevėžys, returning from the United States, Norway, England, Ireland and Latvia, studied at Panevėžys. The Vytautas Žemkalnis gym has a mobile leveling group for all children who do not speak Lithuanian.

In addition, Panevėžys is in a very convenient geographical location, which is especially emphasized by those who create their businesses. From here it is very convenient to reach all international airports, all you need to do is improve local connections. Furthermore, house prices are also important: in Panevėžys it is possible to buy an individual house, and in Vilnius or Kaunas it is possible to buy only a modest apartment for that price ”, J. Raukštienė mentioned the reasons for choosing Panevėžys.