Ieva Birka | University of Latvia (original) (raw)

Papers by Ieva Birka

The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 2022

Declaring the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 left thousands of travellers stranded, propelling c... more Declaring the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 left thousands of travellers stranded, propelling consular work to the forefront, and testing governments’ capacity to aid their nationals abroad. While all consular departments provided assistance and duty of care (DoC) through information and guidance, some were reactive while others were proactive, and some were willing to make exceptions and engage in pastoral care. Analysis of the Baltic and Nordic countries’ reactions to the initial outbreak of COVID-19 shows us how DoC diverged in practice, and to note the transition of consular affairs into consular diplomacy and its interplay with facets of digital, citizen-centric and diaspora diplomacy. The conclusion is that all eight countries exceeded normal consular practice and exhibited some level of pastoral DoC, with Latvia and Lithuania exhibiting high levels of pastoral care. In parallel, Lithuania and Denmark, in their responses, effectively incorporated innovative elements of digital and diaspora diplomacy.

Space and Polity, 2022

Reflecting upon the implications of Russia's invasion of Ukraine for the theorization of 'diaspor... more Reflecting upon the implications of Russia's invasion of Ukraine for the theorization of 'diaspora diplomacy', this Provocation uses the concept to frame the conflict and the ensuing power plays. The extent of global community involvement requires the existing diaspora diplomacy definition to account for 'quadratic nexus' configuration of 'home' and 'host' country, respective diasporas and international actor engagement in diaspora diplomacy practice. In reviewing the conflict, and the current response, four themes emerge as central to the 'quadratic nexus' configuration and deserving further attention: the politics of labelling, the dynamics of engagement, third-party diasporas and diaspora identities in diaspora diplomacy.

Baltic Journal of Law & Politics, 2021

Passage of the Diaspora Law of Latvia required policymakers to go through an arduous process of d... more Passage of the Diaspora Law of Latvia required policymakers to go through an arduous process of discussing the limitations of diaspora, weighing the potential risks and benefits of various possible approaches, and ultimately agreeing on a definition to be included in the law. The end result was a very broad interpretation of who can be recognized as part of the Latvian diaspora. In this paper, to understand the political process of arriving at a definition, the

Diaspora Studies, 2019

The aim of the article is to offer a comparative overview of the latest developments in the Balti... more The aim of the article is to offer a comparative overview of the latest developments in the Baltic and Nordic state diaspora engagement policies and outreach practices, and to further the understanding of the term diaspora diplomacy. In this article, diaspora diplomacy is understood as the use of Foreign Service, or other branches of government, to promote the systematic relationship, for mutual benefit, between the country of origin government, diaspora groupings in countries of residence, and the various interest associations in both the country of origin and country of residence. In addition to reviewing the diaspora outreach initiatives of the eight countries, the article also utilizes interviews with representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic and Nordic region. The interviews with government representatives offer insight into how diaspora are regarded, if diasporas are thought of as a resource for the home country, and what are the possible future trajectories for diaspora relations.

Journal of Baltic Studies, 2020

In following the global trend of countries engaging with their diaspora populations, Latvia has e... more In following the global trend of countries engaging with their diaspora populations, Latvia has expressed its commitment to the diaspora with the recent passing of the Diaspora Law. One of the stated aims of the legislation is the engagement of the diaspora in the economic development of Latvia. In this article, a thorough analysis of the existing literature highlights the available diaspora resources that countries of origin can draw upon,identifies the avenues of diaspora engagement for development, and outlines the necessary preconditions for successful diaspora engagement. Then, in using secondary data analysis of available Latvian diaspora surveys, the article establishes what Latvia can expect from its diaspora, both 'old' and 'new', identifies the most promising diaspora target groups in terms of economic development, pinpoints their geographical locations, and outlines the concerns and challenges that Latvia has to overcome in order to effectively engage with its diaspora and harness the economic potential of the diaspora.

Migration Information Source, 2019

In the Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—high emigration rates and shrinking, aging po... more In the Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—high emigration rates and shrinking, aging populations are leading to an impending demographic crisis.

Acceptance of dual citizenship allows migrants to naturalise in the country of residence (CoR) wi... more Acceptance of dual citizenship allows migrants to naturalise in the country of residence (CoR) without giving up their former citizenship. For migrant sending countries the question emerges whether emigrants who acquire another citizenship are less attached to and politically active in the country of origin than those who do not. This would be the assumption of traditional perspectives on migration and citizenship. However, according to the transnational perspective neither multiple nationalities, nor participation in and identification with the CoR, preclude ongoing ties and participation back home. We test these perspectives with survey data on Swiss citizens residing in France, Germany, Italy and the US. Our results suggest that Swiss dual citizens abroad are not significantly less attached to and active in Switzerland than their mono national counterparts. Our data further supports the transnational perspective by showing not only simultaneity, but a mutually reinforcing relationship when transnational citizenship is practised. Identification with, and political participation in, the CoR positively relates to equivalent feelings and activities in the country of origin. Since dual citizenship sets the legal foundation for simultaneous involvement in two countries, it correctly assumes a central place in the study of transnational citizenship.

The aim of this article is to establish if expressed attachment to Russia, amongst surveyed Russi... more The aim of this article is to establish if expressed attachment to Russia, amongst surveyed Russian-speaking youths in 2004 and 2010 in Latvia, demonstrates any noteworthy correlations with factors promoting integration and feelings of belonging to Latvia. The correlation analysis shows that a sense of belonging to Russia and a sense of belonging to Latvia are not mutually exclusive. However, those Russian speakers in Latvia expressing a closer sense of belonging to Russia are also more likely to prefer an all-Russian environment, are skeptical of their rights and influence in Latvia, and are more likely to perceive discrimination in terms of citizenship status and ethnicity. These preferences suggest either a lack of integration or an “external homeland” influence.

Patterns of Prejudice, Jul 4, 2013

This article examines the efforts of post-Soviet Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to promote social ... more This article examines the efforts of post-Soviet Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to promote social cohesion by addressing the ethnic and linguistic cleavages that are part of the legacy of Soviet rule. In examining the particular situation of each Baltic state and the response to international pressure for integration and social inclusion policy, Muiznieks, Rozenvalds and Birka note the roles of threat-perception, the historic context, the linguistic and citizenship policy, as well as socio-economic inequality, in facilitating Russian-speakers’ sense of belonging to their respective Baltic state. While ostensibly aimed at fostering a sense of belonging to the national state, Baltic integration and social inclusion policy has often had a contradictory effect, especially in Estonia and Latvia, where the emphasis on the majority language and culture as a prerequisite for access to citizenship and formal membership has enhanced the threat-perceptions of minorities, and led to their alienation or identification with the external homeland of Russia. In Lithuania, early inclusion of minorities into the polity has had a beneficial long-term impact in terms of their identification with their country of residence, demonstrated by the fact that Russian-speakers express a greater sense of belonging to Lithuania. A review of the available survey data on the Baltic states suggests that the same cannot be said for Estonia and Latvia, where minorities express a weak sense of belonging to the state. This suggests a challenging road ahead for Estonia and Latvia in achieving social cohesion, understood by minorities as a sense of membership in the community and feelings of mutual recognition. Furthermore, all three Baltic states, Latvia in particular, have yet to address growing socio-economic inequality, which threatens to cause long-term difficulties for social cohesion.

CEU Political Science Journal. 01/2011; Vol.6(No. 3)

The article will analyze the role of history and sense of belonging development for integration a... more The article will analyze the role of history and sense of belonging development for integration and naturalization efforts in Latvia. In establishing the significance of history in national identity formation, theoretical literature analysis will explain why belonging is a fundamental need and how history and historic celebrations become tools in the process. Data from 1998-2008 will be used to illustrate the theoretical analysis and explain the dramatic drop in belonging amongst Russian speaking noncitizens. The article will argue that nation building in Latvia is based on ethnicity and culture, emphasizing collective memory and interpretation of history, as the basis of national identity. For non-members of the ethnic titular, belonging has depended on assimilation into the predefined ethnic and cultural community. The demands have alienated a significant portion of the population and opened doors for identification with Russia as the external homeland, encouraging a Diaspora identity and complicating further integration efforts.

The citizens of Latvia went to the polls on October 2nd, to cast their ballots in the 10th Parlia... more The citizens of Latvia went to the polls on October 2nd, to cast their ballots in the 10th Parliamentary elections of Latvia. The results reconfirm the importance of language in identity politics of the country and inter-party contestation, as the election results were split between the two linguistically defined political parties -the Russian speaking Harmony Center, and the Latvian speaking Unity party alliance. The Unity block, consisting of a conglomerate of Latvian parties, received 33 seats in the new Parliament, or 31 percent of the popular vote. While the Harmony Center party, identified as the Russian language party, received 29 seats in the new Parliament, or 26 percent of the popular vote.