On 28 March 2022, the Minister for the Interior, Marija Golubeva, attended an extraordinary meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union, to discuss coordination in the reception of persons fleeing the war in Ukraine.
“We must do everything in our grasp to prevent Ukrainian refugees from becoming victims of serious and organized crime. We must proactively address such crimes that the war in Ukraine has or may create. This is also a moment of solidarity. We announced at the meeting our readiness to welcome and admit, in solidarity, 500 Ukrainian refugees currently in Moldova. I also stressed the need to coordinate support from the European Union, including through the reallocation of funding for the reception of Ukrainian refugees,” noted the Minister for the Interior, Marija Golubeva, after the meeting.
In the extraordinary meeting Ministers discussed four blocks of issues.
Practical and financial support to Member States hosting Ukrainian refugees. The possibility of using reallocated funding from European Union funds to cover the immediate needs of Ukrainian refugees is already foreseen. The Minister for the Interior, Ms M.Golubeva, called for consideration to be given to the possibility of providing additional funding under the current Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 to Member States that carry out immediate measures in support of Ukrainian refugees.
Internal movement of Ukrainian refugees within the EU. Clear and comprehensive coordination at the European Union level is necessary to coordinate the effort and find most effective solutions. A specific “Solidarity Platform”, coordinated by the European Commission, has been set up to exchange information between Member States on their reception capacities and those already hosted.
Admission of Ukrainian refugees from Moldova. Taking into account the limited capacity of Moldova to host and support Ukrainian refugees, a large humanitarian response has already been provided. There is an urgent need for a coordinated reception of Ukrainian refugees currently in Moldova. Several European Union Member States and Norway have already committed themselves, while Romania has agreed to establish a reception centre on its territory. The Minister for the Interior noted the urgent need to provide voluminous and sustainable support to Moldova. They informed that Latvia is considering taking in up to 500 persons currently in Moldova, including through resettlement (air flight) to Latvia.
External border control and security issues. Minister for the Interior Marija Golubeva welcomed the European Commission’s guidelines on facilitating the work of border guards, the reception of Ukrainian refugees and granting temporary protection, as well as the commitment to regularly update these guidelines. She noted that it is now crucial to ensure effective border management while helping people fleeing danger and seeking asylum. The current situation creates a favorable environment for the development of various forms of criminal activity and the abuse of vulnerable persons for criminal purposes. It calls for the mobilization of a concerted preventive action to the greatest extent possible.
More than 3 million Ukrainian refugees have entered the European Union since the outbreak of the war. Most of them are now in the Ukrainian border countries of Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. The Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Estonia and Lithuania also report significant influxes of Ukrainians. More than 16 000 asylum applications have been submitted in EU Member States and EEA countries. Practically half of the migrants are children.
On 4 March, the Council Implementing Decision triggering the “Temporary Protection Directive” entered into force, providing for facilitated entry and temporary protection for persons fleeing the threat in Ukraine.
Prepared by:
Linda Curika
Advisor to the Minister for the Interior
Strategic communication issues
phone number 26533953
E-mail: linda.curika@iem.gov.lv