Plastic surgeon Janis Zarjeckis emphasized on the TV24 channel's program "Press Club" that in the issue of emigration, the most important thing is to understand the reasons why people decide to leave Latvia and do everything possible to prevent this.
He notes that the most noticeable emigration is observed in rural areas.
"I have patients from rural areas, and I see how the villages are emptying. We are destroying the countryside because the country is losing the most active, intellectual people who simply have nothing to do there," explains Zarjeckis.
The plastic surgeon emphasizes that there are several serious problems in rural areas at the same time. Schools and hospitals are closing, the condition of the roads is poor, and entrepreneurship is stagnating. Such an environment is not friendly to the young, and as a result, they are forced to leave.
Zarjeckis notes that some people move to Riga, but many also go abroad. "This is the main problem because it is incredibly difficult to bring them back. They take root. Children start going to school, learn the language, and make friends," says the surgeon.
He admits that it is unclear how the state could bring them back. "I don’t know what to do. We need to stand on our heads to bring them back," he says.
In conclusion, Zarjeckis emphasizes that the state must seriously consider how to keep young people in Latvia. He gives the example of Latgale.
"In Latgale, there are villages where only the elderly live because all the young people have left," he notes.
