EU – Baltic States, Integration, Latvia, Legislation, Society

Speaking about the integration of these refugees, Melbarde said that there should be no illusions that this will be a quick process, and emphasized that some of them come from very different cultural environments. ''We must invest more and work harder in integrating them, in accordance with the government's plan of action,'' the minister said.

At the same time, she also emphasized that integration is a two-way street, and that there must be motivation to integrate. The minister said that if a person is just using Latvia as a transit country, he or she will likely only formally fulfill their obligations until the moment they are able to leave.

Melbarde also said that she has information about asylum seekers who truly wish to remain here, and they have been enthusiastically taking their Latvian language courses.

Asked whether the state can guarantee jobs for these people, Melbarde said that the state cannot, but added that Latvia needs and will continue to need workers, and that this is once again a matter of whether or not they are motivated to remain here.

As reported, Latvia has agreed to take-in 531 refugees from other EU member states. Most of these refugees will come from Greece and Italy, as well as Turkey.

Latvia will relocate the refugees within the next two years, which means that approximately 30 asylum seekers could arrive in Latvia per month.