POLICY REPORT ON IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM IN LATVIA ...

49
In 2010, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs within the framework of the
European Return Fund 2009 programme implements project "Creation and Development of the
Digital Archive for Cases of Illegal Immigrants".The general objective of the said project is to
increase the administrative capacity of involved institutions in the field of return and the
specific objective is to start the creation of a digital archive for cases of illegal immigrants, by
ensuring necessary equipment and software. It is planned to achieve the set targets by
introducing the digital archive of cases of illegal immigrants, which would ensure obtaining,
processing and use electronically of information, as provided for in the regulatory enactments,
about a person who has violated the terms of entry and residence in the Republic of Latvia,
which will considerably speed up decision making by responsible officials in the field of return
of third-country nationals. 114
In 2010, Riga Office of the International Organization for Migration, in cooperation with
the Baltic Institute of Social Sciences and within the framework of the project co-financed by
the European Return Fund has issued two research reports “Situation in the field of voluntary
return” 115 and “Situation in the field of reintegration” 116 . The purpose of the studies was to
provide a summary on the current situation in Latvia and about the best practices in the
Member States of the European Union in the field of return and reintegration of persons who
do not have the legal basis to reside in Latvia, as well as asylum seekers, refugees, persons to
whom the alternative status has been granted (other type of international protection).
By promoting voluntary return of illegal immigrants to their country of origin, the Riga
Office of the International Organization for Migration continued the provision of important
assistance in 2010 in return of illegal immigrants and returning to their living in their countries,
within the framework of the project of the European Return Fund "Preparation of the system of
voluntary return and reintegration in Latvia" which was started in 2009. The said project was
completed on 30 June 2010, and 39 illegal immigrants used the assistance for voluntary return
within the framework of it.
In order to introduce complete module of return and reintegration of third-country
nationals in Latvia, employees of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs and the State
113 Information provided by officials of the State Border Guard.
114 Eiropas Atgriešanās fonda 2009.gada programmas projekts “Nelegālo imigrantu lietu digitālā arhīva
izveidošana un attīstīšana” (Project “Creation and Development of the Digital Archive for Cases of Illegal
Immigrants”) of Programme 2009 of the European Return Fund)//
http://www.pmlp.gov.lv/lv/par_pmlp/projects/ERF_arhivs.html - [10.12.2010]
115 Riga Office of the International Organization for Migration, Research. Situation in the Field of Voluntary
Return.// Riga: IOM, 2010.-p.160.
116 Riga Office of the International Organization for Migration., Research. Situation in the Field of Reintegration.//
Riga: IOM, 2010.-p.136.