Last weekend, from 20 to 22 March, the event “Theatre Days 2026” took place in Vejle, Denmark. As part of the programme, remigration sessions were held, during which members of the diaspora met with Daina Šulca, the remigration coordinator of the Riga Planning Region.
Daina Šulca herself is a remigrant from Denmark, and during the meeting she shared her personal memories of living there, her experiences, and the reasons behind her decision to return. She emphasized that the desire to live in her own country, to invest her energy, ideas, and knowledge in Latvia, as well as strong family ties, were the main factors that led her to return to Riga.
Members of the Latvian diaspora in Denmark greatly appreciated the coordinator’s story, sharing: “Thank you for the wonderful conversation in Vejle, Denmark! You truly inspired us with your story and feelings – I feel exactly the same. Life here is good, but Latvian identity and patriotism take over.”
Participants also highly valued the role of regional remigration coordinators, noting how important it is to have a dedicated contact person in each region of Latvia who can guide them through the complexities of documents, permits, and opportunities, and help find the simplest path back to life in Riga and other regions.
The meeting brought together Latvians who are already planning to return to Latvia in the near future. The main topics of interest were employment opportunities in Latvia, while for many the housing issue had already been resolved. Families with children were particularly interested in school and kindergarten arrangements, as well as support for learning the Latvian language.
Daina Šulca reflected on the experience: “These were truly inspiring and meaningful days together with the Latvian–Danish Association in Vejle. New connections, new impressions. Conversations with our compatriots were warm and open – when one Latvian meets another, it becomes clear that many share similar experiences and challenges in the return process. Our people truly want to return to Latvia. During the meeting, I shared my own return story from Denmark.”
The meeting in Vejle has also inspired future initiatives. Daina Šulca noted: “Together with the Latvian–Danish Association, we are planning the next joint event – an online meeting with a wider Latvian diaspora in Denmark. It is tentatively planned for September this year and will focus on returning to Riga, the Riga region, and Latvia. Interest in returning home is clearly growing among the diaspora in Denmark. The connection between remigration coordinators and the diaspora has become stronger, more open, and more supportive.”
Participants came from Vejle, Fredericia, Billund, Kolding, Horsens, and other cities.
The Latvian–Danish Association was established in 2005 and includes a weekend school “Mazputniņš”, the choir “Rietumvējš”, and the theatre group “Pūpols”.
Special thanks to Katrīna Povidiša-Delefose, chair of the Latvian–Danish Association, and Lilita Tomsene, leader of the Danish diaspora theatre “Pūpols”, for their warm hospitality and excellent organisation in Vejle.
