by InTrieste
Friuli Venezia Giulia is investing more in supporting its citizens and their descendants living abroad than any other Italian region, Regional Immigration Councilor Pierpaolo Roberti said Wednesday during a ceremony at the regional assembly marking the Day of Friuli Venezia Giulia Communities Abroad.
Roberti said the region’s efforts have two main objectives: maintaining ties with communities established around the world by generations of emigrants and encouraging their descendants to rediscover their ancestral homeland.
Many of those communities originated during periods when Friuli Venezia Giulia was marked by poverty and limited employment opportunities, prompting large numbers of residents to seek better prospects abroad, he said.
Today, the region offers a different economic landscape, with a more dynamic economy and growing demand for skilled workers, Roberti said. He credited associations representing people from Friuli Venezia Giulia abroad, along with regional funding programs, for helping maintain connections between the communities and their place of origin.
The region hopes that children and grandchildren of those who emigrated during the last century will consider returning, potentially finding employment and new opportunities in the area where their families once lived, he said.
