Seventy percent of members of the Serbian diaspora expressed readiness to invest in their country, and 74 percent of respondents from the homeland and the diaspora believe that our compatriots from the diaspora should have at least equal, if not privileged status when investing in Serbia and Republika Srpska, research by sociologists, psychologists and communicologists from Serbia, countries in the region and the Serbian diaspora coordinated by Tesla’s scientific foundation from the USA and Serbia.
The vast majority of respondents, as many as 93 percent, expressed the belief that the children of our people born abroad should have the same rights to schooling in the homeland as the children of Serbian citizens, and more than 87 percent think that the diaspora should have the right to vote in their home country. .
More than 70 percent of respondents have so far not voted in elections in Serbia from their countries of residence, and in parallel with the regulation of suffrage, 90.8 percent of respondents think that it is necessary to revive the work of the Diaspora Assembly, which should have representatives in the Serbian Parliament.
In addition, the position of 85% of respondents is that our compatriots in the diaspora should be allowed electronic voting, and 94.5% share the opinion that the diaspora and the motherland should actively participate in the preparation of the future National Program of Serbia and all Serbs, which would include national interests of Serbia and Republika Srpska.
Ministry of Diaspora – an important part in strengthening the cooperation between the motherland and the diaspora
An important part of the plan to strengthen cooperation between the motherland and the diaspora is certainly the formation of the Ministry of Diaspora in Serbia and Republika Srpska, which was confirmed by 91.2 percent of respondents, while 94 percent believe that Serbia needs to join Serbian clubs in the region and diaspora.
Almost all respondents, 98.9 percent to be precise, think that it is necessary to increase the involvement of the diaspora in opening “mini businesses” with investments from the diaspora, with state guarantees and the possibility of retirement rights for returnees who have invested in the motherland.
Therefore, 78 percent of respondents think that arranging documentation for the diaspora is a priority in the public services of the home country, while 66.1 percent believe that returnees from the diaspora, in addition to the right to a pension, should have the right to import without customs and taxes.
Slightly less than half, or 46.6 percent of respondents, do not know enough about the level of cooperation between religious institutions in the homeland and the diaspora, but everyone agrees that the role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in strengthening the unity of people and state is very important strengthening the cooperation of the motherland with the diaspora.
The research project “Tesla’s People – Motherland and Diaspora on the Same Road” was supported and co-financed by the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia in the statement, N1 reports.
