Government unveils plan to encourage return of 500,000 Catalans living abroad

The Catalan government has unveiled a plan to facilitate the return of the more than 500,000 Catalans living abroad who want to return to the country or are considering the option. 

The plan was unveiled on Monday by Catalan president Pere Aragonès, who explained that one of the objectives was to appeal to an entire generation of young people and "talent" who had to leave Catalonia in search of work as a result of the 2008 economic crisis. 

He stressed that with the improvement of the Catalan economy, it is now necessary to "strengthen" the opportunities for them to return to Catalonia if they wish to do so.

"We need to provide the country with professionals trained in Catalonia, who have extensive international experience and who are better qualified for full integration because they were born in Catalonia," he explained.