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Local responses to emigration and diaspora engagement

European studies and politics

2024

Mgr., MA Lucia Mýtna Kureková, PhD.

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Faculty of social and economic sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava

Emigration is profoundly changing the socio-economic, political, and cultural landscape of countries and localities which have faced high level of citizen outflows. The possible negative impact on labour supply and the intensifying quest for talent has in recent years led many national governments in Europe and globally to engage in systematic efforts to incentivize return migration and uphold diaspora engagement. For the local governments, emigration effects might be felt even more intensively and touch a broad range of local policy domains, including the budget resources, provision of services, the labour market, and even local politics. In light of apparent skill and labour shortages across Slovakia, engagement with its citizens working abroad might present a viable option to deal with local challenges and support local development. While existing research has started analyzing national-level responses to emigration, local responses have not been systematically mapped and Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave Fakulta sociálnych a ekonomických vied www.fses.uniba.sk www.uniba.sk sufficiently understood. This dissertation will gather evidence about local level motivations, responses, approaches and strategies to engaging with citizens working abroad. It will seek to understand under what conditions and with what tools did/do local governments or other local actors (NGOs, firms) in emigration-prone municipalities in Slovakia reach out to its citizens temporarily or permanently (working) abroad. This research will rely on qualitative methods, using surveys, interviews, focus groups and other appropriate methodologies.