POLICY REPORT ON IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM IN LATVIA ...

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group when they start living independently; represenatives of local authorities will be
introduced with the integration of refugees in Latvia. 158
On 13-14 September 2010, State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Ilze Pētersone
participated in the Conference of Ministers "Quality and efficiency in the asylum process"
which was held in Belgium, Brussels. Within the framework of the Conference of Ministers,
which was organized by the Belgium’s Presidency, discussions were made about the internal
solidarity of Europe, further development of the European Asylum Support Bureau, reception
of asylum seekers with special needs. State Secretary Ilze Pētersone indicated that balance
should be reached between the regulatory framework and practical cooperation, primarily, in
the field of exchange of best experience and information, in order to find appropriate solution
by taking into account national peculiarities and situation in each Member State. In the field of
practical cooperation, along with exchange of best experience and information, the importance
of common training should be specially emphasised, in order to reach common understanding
and coordinated decisions in all Member States. 159
In the opinion of Latvia, in relation to the operation of the European Asylum Support
Bureau, attention should be paid to activities that strengthen the practical cooperation of
Member State. Emphasis should be placed on activities related to exchange of information,
support to organization of trainings for representatives of Member States’ administrative
authorities, courts and tribunals, as well as employees of institutions responsible for the field of
asylum 160 .
The State Border Guard implements project "Improving of living conditions in the
asylum seekers’ accommodation premises of the State Border Guard in Ventspils and
Daugavpils departments and in the detained third-country nationals’ centre "Olaine"" within
the framework of the European Refugee Fund.
The purpose of the project is to ensure asylum seekers with suitably equipped premises
that would increase the capacity of asylum seekers’ accommodations would satisfy social needs
158 Projekta „Es palieku Latvijā” ietvaros četru reģionu pašvaldības tiks iepazīstinātas ar bēgļu integrāciju Latvijā
(Four regional authorities will be introduced to the integration of the refugees in Latvia within the framework of
the project „I Stay in Latvia!”).// http://www.patverums-dm.lv/new.phplang=lv&id=1&n_id=73-[sk.20.01.2011.]
159 IeM valsts sekretāre pauž Latvijas nostāju patvēruma politikas jautājumos (The State Secretary of the Ministry
of Interior Express the Position of Latvia in Asylum Policy).//
http://iem.gov.lv/lat/aktualitates/informacija_medijiem/doc=19035 - [see: 24.11.2010]
160 Ibid.