POLICY REPORT ON IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM IN LATVIA ...

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Common Basic Principles for Integration and activities that are planned under such
programmes are focused on the provision of language training and the improvement of access
to the labour market, social services and public events. For instance, in 2010 within the
framework of Programme 2008 of the Fund, 2 projects were implemented where integration
and language training programmes were developed: the electronic training programme
developed by joint-stock company "Datorzinību centrs", which enables a third-country
national to acquire the Latvian language according to the European language level A1 and
afterwards also A2, simultaneously by acquiring knowledge about the state of Latvia, its
history, geography and social life, thus promoting additionally the integration of an individual
in society.
During the period from July 2009 to March 2010, society "The Education Development
Centre" implemented project "Educational activities for improving knowledge and skills of a
third-country national for successful integration in Latvia", which was co-financed by the
European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals and the general purpose of
which was to promote the integration of third-country nationals with various economic, social,
cultural, religion, language and ethnical background in the Latvian and the European society.
Specific objectives of the said project:
• Develop and introduce a training programme and distance learning materials about the
history of Latvia, its institutions, the social and economic system, in order to educate and to
improve the skills of third-country nationals for living in the Latvian and the European society.
• Based on experience gained during the project and the project results, prepare
description of the project target group and recommendations for responsible and interested
institutions for future training of third-country nationals and their integration in the society.
I(h) Promote information exchange on best practices in terms of reception and integration
Please describe any relevant activity, e.g. the development of a national website and/or
forum on integration, development of information exchanges between institutions and
other stakeholders within your Member State, etc. Also consider possible contributions to
the European Integration Forum and the European website on Integration.
In 2010, the Ministry of Justice implemented Project of Programme 2008 "Information
Campaign for the Latvian Society regarding Third-Country Nationals", within the framework
of which the strategy for the resident information 2011-2015 has been developed, as well as the
plan for information of residents 2010, two TV and radio broadcasts in the Latvian language
have been created and broadcasted, two TV and radio broadcasts in the Russian language, short
movies have been made and broadcasted on television, nine publications have been made in
Latvian, Russian and English in newspapers and on Internet news portals, outdoor advertising
posters have been designed and placed on public stands and at public transport stops, outdoor
advertisements have been placed on buses in Riga City and on intercity buses, 2,000
information posters have been made and delivered for further dissemination in educational
establishments thus ensuring that the attention of the teaching staff and youth is drawn to
matters related to the project target audience.
Within the framework of the project, the Ministry of Justice organized six interactive
informative events: three of them were organized in Riga and three were organized in the
largest regional cities of Latvia: Liepaja, Daugavpils and Jelgava. Target audience of the
seminars were experts of the state administration, service providers, representatives of societies
and foundations. The aim of the event was to inform the experts and representatives of the civic
society about the main tasks of the European integration policy and the directions of its
development, to introduce with issues identified during the project of the Fund, and to inform
about the main aspects of integration of immigrants. In order to specify practical matters