On Thursday, 7 April, the Saeima adopted in the second and final reading urgent amendments to the Law on Assistance to Ukrainian Civilians, including amendments related to providing housing for Ukrainian civilians in Latvian municipalities.
As per the amendments the State Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) will monitor the capacity of municipalities to provide the support and, if necessary, redirect Ukrainian refugees to municipalities with the capacity to provide the support required. The SFRS will maintain information on the number of Ukrainian civilians accommodated in the municipalities and update it at least once a day as per the information provided by the municipalities.
To reduce the administrative burden for Ukrainian civilians, the amendments provide new points for servicing affairs of Ukrainian civilians. Forthwith, can submit documents for visa or residence permit also to the Customer Service Centers of Central and Local Governments. Documents will be transferred to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs.
Where documents required or verifications from Ukrainian refugees are not available due to the war caused by the Russian Federation agencies will accept other documents on a case-by-case basis, hence, allowing for exceptions. If the person concerned possess relevant documents obtained during the USSR period, such will be accepted. If there are reasonable doubts as to the authenticity of a public document submitted or produced, the institution will be entitled to refuse to accept it. The mechanism resembles one of Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council, facilitating the free movement of citizens.
To address the shortage of teachers in educational institutions, he project proposes that Ukrainian civilians who have a pedagogical education will be able to work in the fields of vocational and interest education, as well as foreign languages. It is foreseen that an adult Ukrainian civilian will have the right to continue their vocational training and education in private educational institutions.
As per the project underage Ukrainian civilians will also be able continue their education in local vocational education institutions, thus giving them the right to maintain their professional knowledge and skills.
An employer will be entitled to employ a Ukrainian civilian pending the initial compulsory medical examination for three months from the date of conclusion of the employment contract. This exception will not apply to persons employed in work involving risks to the health of others.
The latter require a minimum level of health screening for tuberculosis (medical examination and lung X-ray) as a preventive measure to detect tuberculosis in a person working with children. Taking into account the very high prevalence of tuberculosis in Ukraine, relative to Latvia, such preventive examinations should be carried out as soon as possible for staff working with children. Similarly, minimum level health screening will be required for workers handling unpackaged food in order to identify carriers of enteric infectious diseases and thus prevent outbreaks of food-borne enteric infectious diseases.
The law will ensure continuity of the previous medical treatment of Ukrainian civilians with prescribed medicines, based on the recommendations of Latvian doctors. When entitled to reimbursement of the costs of purchasing medicines or medical devices Ukrainian civilians will be reimbursed in full for six months, starting from 24 February 2022. It will apply to costs of purchasing medicines and medical devices – on par with rights of asylum seekers and persons in need.
Ukrainian civilians will have the right to receive free of charge copies of socio-legal certificates and related documents from the Latvian National Archives and, if necessary, a translation of these certificates into Russian language.
The amendments proposed will enter into force on the day following their promulgation.
Prepared by:
Gunta Jansone
Ministry of the Interior
Head of Information Division
Phone: +371 67219363; 29494943
E-mail: gunta.jansone@iem.gov.lv