Tomorrow, on May 1, Latvia will celebrate 20 years since accession to the European Union ( – the EU). During this period, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (hereinafter – the Office) has successfully implemented a significant number of projects funded by the EU. A total of 53 projects have been implemented that are useful to such clients of the Office as residents of Latvia, asylum seekers, foreign students, and employees. A total of EUR 35 million have been spent on these projects.
“Financial opportunities offered by the EU funds have been and continue to be an irreplaceable aid in letting the Office improve its operations and creating new and advanced services that are useful to clients. The Office can pride itself in many very successfully implemented funded projects,” stated Maira Roze, the Head of the Office.
While implementing the projects of the funds, the Office particularly focuses on services provided in the area of migration and asylum, solving also urgent accommodation and humanitarian aid matters, e.g., migrant crisis of 2021, and preparing documents for the stay of the Ukrainian civilians in 2022 when they sought asylum in Latvia due to the war initiated by Russia.
The EU funding has allowed the creation of an effective, advanced, and technology-based solution, the Register of Natural Persons. It holds unified records of natural persons (including foreigners), reducing the administrative burden of residents, when they request information, and improving availability of services.
Due to the funding received from the funds, the electronic migration tool has been introduced to provide the clients a quick and convenient access to the necessary information on conditions of the residence permits, State duties, and documents to be submitted. In the coming years, plans have been made to use the funding from the funds to create an advanced and easy-to-use e-service to facilitate the process of submitting documents for receipt of residence permits.
By using funding obtained from the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, Bilateral Cooperation Fund, as well as the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Office has provided the support for short-term accommodation of the Ukrainian civilians and has helped more than
50,000 Ukrainian civilians by issuing and registering residence permits and visas, as well as providing advice on conditions of stay in Latvia.
11 projects have been implemented in the field of asylum during 20 years; and the funding of the projects has provided for creation of a new asylum seekers’ accommodation centre in Liepna, Alūksne municipality, as well as develop the existing centre in Mucenieki, Ropaži municipality. Within 20 years, more than 5,000 asylum seekers have also received such basic necessities as food and hygiene products packages, as well as received such support measures as translation services, medical and psychological assistance. The financial aid from the funds has been irreplaceable for successful administration of asylum seekers’ centres at such times when the number of asylum seekers has been particularly great. It also provided an opportunity to improve the professional knowledge of the Office staff.
Currently, the Office is implementing 5 EU funded projects with the total funding exceeding EUR 10 million. The funding of the projects will be used in the coming years to introduce a new e-service in the field of residence permits, as well as to continue provision of support to receipt and accommodation of asylum seekers, as well as provision of temporary protection for the Ukrainian civilians.
Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs
Public relations
prese@pmlp.gov.lv, +371 67219185