On 27 October this year, the European Commission approved the national programme of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) submitted by the Ministry of the Interior, or an action plan of €41.8 million for 2021-2027. Latvia has identified the area of integration as a high-level priority, with €16.5 million or 39.5% of the funding allocated under AMIF. The aim of the AMIF is to help manage migration flows effectively and to implement, strengthen and develop common asylum and immigration policies in response to the growing challenges of migration.
The area of asylum and migration in Latvia has been particularly topical since 2021, when the increased interest of third-country nationals in Latvia was observed. Irregular migration has intensified due to the precarious situation in the countries of Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, resulting in Latvia experiencing the provocation inherent to hybrid wars, such as the migration flows to Latvia promoted by the Belarusian regime.
At the same time, the increase in the number of migrants, as well as the hybrid war of irregular migration and its future potential, point to the need to strengthen the capacity to process information related to persons illegally crossing the border and detained foreigners. It is also necessary to find solutions for the accommodation and humanitarian assistance of detained foreigners for those asylum seekers who need it, as well as for the return of migrants to their home countries, with the support of the European Union through AMIF.
As part of AMIF, it is intended to ensure the development of asylum and migration digitization processes, to modernize the single migration information system, to increase professional qualifications of employees in the field of migration flow management, to develop the capacity of Latvian authorities in the field of asylum, migration and naturalization, to organize and improve the process of returning foreigners to their home countries, and to improve the capacity of detainees accommodation conditions. In the field of integration, the creation of a “one-stop agency” will be a major activity, where a combination of services from different institutions would provide support to foreigners who start their lives in Latvia.
AMIF will digitize and modernize public administration by creating a user-oriented public service. In addition, people's capacity to exercise their legitimate rights will be promoted; the effectiveness of the justice and law enforcement system will be enhanced, simplification of legal processes will take place. Substantial support will be provided to the civil society, the non-governmental sector, which will be able to implement projects in the field of integration. Persons illegally crossing the border will be assisted to return to their home countries. Also, civilians fleeing the Russian war in Ukraine will be provided with assistance - goods and services of first necessity. European Union funding will help Latvia to fulfil its international obligations.
The Ministry of Interior is the managing authority for the planning period from 2021 to 2027, while the Ministry of Culture is the delegated authority on integration issues.
EUR 41 804 171.98 are available to Latvia during the programming period 2021-2027, of which European Union co-financing is EUR 32 004 016,00 while a national co-financing of EUR 9 800 155,98.
