On 22 November this year, the European Commission approved the Internal Security Fund (ISF) National Programme 2021-2027, submitted by the Ministry of the Interior, amounting to €42.9 million.
The ISF's objective for the programming period 2021-2027 is to promote a high level of security in the European Union, in particular by fighting serious and organised crime, cybercrime, terrorism, and by supporting and protecting victims of crime.
Criminal groups are increasingly using the Schengen area of free movement. As the geopolitical and humanitarian situation in Europe continues to destabilise following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the flow of third-country migrants into Latvia after February 2022 has increased sharply. These developments provide a new transit route for criminal groups. The smuggling of synthetic drugs, marijuana and heroin is currently booming in the north-eastern region of Europe. Latvia is at the crossroads of illegal immigration routes and, consequently, the transit routes for drugs and psychotropic substances.
The ISF will support measures to improve faster and safer exchange of information between Latvian and international law enforcement agencies, to improve transnational cooperation, including ensuring participation of Latvian law enforcement professionals in joint operations in the fight against terrorism and organised crime. Specialised State Police units involved in complex investigations in the field of trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and trafficking in human beings against cross-border and domestic organised crime groups will be substantially strengthened.
The ISF will focus on digital transformation and the essential upgrading of professional training for workers. In addition, high quality, state-of-the-art equipment will be purchased to fight crime.
Thanks to the ISF, Latvian law enforcement authorities will be provided with modern and state-of-the-art tools that will significantly strengthen their capacity to prevent, detect and investigate criminal offences and to respond to security risks.
The Ministry of the Interior is the Managing Authority for the ISF 2021-2027 programming period.
The €42,957,118.60 available for Latvia in the ISF programming period 2021-2027 is made up of European Union co-financing of €32,730,151.36 and national co-financing of €10,226,967.24.
Ministry of the Interior
Communication Department
E-mail: kn@iem.gov.lv