The Cause and Impact of Migration and Remittances on Latvia

International migration motivated by economic reasons has become a key global phenomenon affecting increasing number of people, households, and communities in developing as well as developed countries. The scope and complexity of international migration patterns continue to increase, receiving more and more attention from governmental and non-governmental institutions. Despite some obvious advantages for both sending and receiving countries from migration and remittances, it is considered as structural weakness in national labor markets. Thus the international community has focused its efforts on finding possible solutions to eliminate migration and reduce the development gap between emigrants’ countries and countries they flee.
The focus of this study is Latvia which experienced huge changes in political, social, and economic institutions for the last decade. The main topics of the research are: what are the main reasons people emigrate from Latvia (short- or long-term) to other countries; how migration and remittances affect poverty and socio-economic development in the country; and what can be done to change the situation. While ones argue against the outflows of people from the country, others find it rather beneficial for country’s economy and overall well-being of society. …