Baltic Triplets? Out-Migration Migration and Responses to Crisis

Abstract

This article addresses intersections of migration and economic development as one of the most topical contemporary challenges in the Baltic states. It uses empirical approach to compare governmental responses to recent economic crisis starting in 2008. Article analyses, how these responses were reflected in statistics revealing socio economic dynamics within years of crisis and beyond. Methods of comparing statistical and analysing secondary data are applied. All three states have similar future challenges of aging and declining population and see return migration as one of possible solutions to address this challenge. However, the processes in Estonia provide a better ground for its government to claim that the country makes effort to ensure more stable development. Also, the results demonstrate that Estonia displays more different trends, while Lithuania and Latvia are closer to each other in outmigration trends.

(Ine)quality of life: Lithuanian labor migration to Sweden during the economic crisis and its aftermath, 2008–2013

“…Although, research reveals that before the economic crisis, family members and informal social networks had a considerable influence on the emigration decision (Maslauskaite and Stankuniene 2007). Other studies point to the decisive role of social policy and austerity impacts during the economic crisis as reasons (Aidukaite and Genelyte 2012;Lulle 2013), ramifying from the global financial to the national fiscal, and finally to a crisis of welfare (Gough 2011).…”