Ukrainian refugees that have ended up in Latvia experience the biggest problems with job-hunting and looking for housing, as board member of Gribu palīdzēt bēgļiem Linda Jākobsone told Latvijas Radio.
She said in the first 90 days since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Latvia’s NGO sector has done a lot to assist refugees that have arrived from Ukraine. However, there are concerns about aid remaining available once the initial 90-day period is over. «There are many different issues on the table that need clarifying,» said Jākobsone.
When asked about the main issues, she said many Ukrainians are unable to find jobs on the Latvian labour market due to objective reasons. There is also the issue of housing. The association’s representative said most of the refugees have children. There are mothers with small children, as well as seniors and disabled persons. «Some of them may be able to join the labour market and find jobs but most won’t,» said Jākobsone.
As for housing and its limited availability, she said the reason is because the market is limited
and, on top of that, people who have available housing are not too eager to give it to Ukrainian refugees, because they want to rent out their property for a longer period of time. They also want a safety deposit to be paid in advance, which is something most Ukrainian refugees cannot afford.
«Although there are good decisions coming from the government to make housing more accessible for refugees, currently, considering the 90-day period is coming to its end, the decisions have yet to be used at full potential or explained to all sides – those who have apartments to spare, Ukrainian refugees or the NGO sector,» explained the association’s board member.
Latvia’s Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš, meanwhile, is convinced that after the end of the initial 90-day period Ukrainian refugees will not be left without any support, as aid will be provided using other means.
Saeima deputy and former parliamentary secretary to the Ministry of the Interior Mārtiņš Šteins told LETA that the volume of support for Ukrainian war refugees must not reduce and it should continue for some time.
According to him, the Ministry of Finance currently sets up the biggest obstacles for aid to Ukrainian refugees. The Ministry of the Interior, according to the politician, has done its job and now everything depends on funding. ‘In this situation I believe it is very important for all of us to understand that we have to do all we can to help Ukrainians as much as we can,’ added Šteins.
Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approximately 29 000 Ukrainians have fled the country to Latvia, according to the latest information from the Ministry of the Interior.