Immigration to rural communities – attitudes from inside

Abstract

This paper analyses the main trends of population change across the territory of Lithuania and the impact of immigration on the development of peripheral rural areas in the early 21st century. Qualitative methods were employed to reveal the attitudes of residents of peripheral areas towards arriving new residents and their potential contribution to local development. Special attention is paid on the attitudes of local community leaders and new settlers towards immigrants, including war refugees from Ukraine, illegal immigrants from distant countries, returnees, and residents arriving from other regions of Lithuania.