POLICY REPORT ON IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM IN LATVIA ...

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related to integration of immigrants and to promote a dialogue among immigrants and experts
involved in the integration process, third-country nationals from various countries participated
in the events: Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Algeria. Their participation in the provision of
information was an important added value to the event, which encouraged the exchange of
ideas and gave an opportunity to the participants to gain broader view about the different needs
of the target audience.
Currently, the Ministry of Justice manages homepage www.integration.lv, which was
created within the framework of a project of the Integration Fund. Information on the
homepage is available in Latvian, Russian and English. Another informative Internet resource
for immigrants has been created by society "Patvērums "Drošā māja", which provides key
information about living in Latvia and availability of various services: http://www.patverumsdm.lv/index.phplang=lv&id=55.
Information is available in Latvian, Russian, English and
French.
Contribution to the European Integration Forum is ensured in cooperation with nongovernmental
institutions leading integration of immigrants. In compliance with the request of
the European Commission, representatives of two non-governmental organizations that are
leading in the field of the integration of immigrants are delegated to each meeting. The
Ministry of Justice represents Latvia in the European Commission network of national
integration contact points; the network has been established for better coordination of the
European integration policy. Information for the integration homepage is updated by using the
network of national integration contact points, as well as in cooperation with expert of society
"Providus", Dace Akule, who supplements the homepage information on a regular basis about
integration news in Latvia.
4.2 Stockholm Programme (1-2 paragraphs in the text box created for each commitment)
The relevant commitments in the Stockholm Programme for this sub-section are in
particular:
3(b) to incorporate integration issues in a comprehensive way in all relevant policy areas
Please elaborate whether and how integration issues are integrated on other national
policies.
The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs has already noted in its Policy report
on Migration and Asylum in Latvia in Year 2009 that the draft framework document for the
society integration policy "Main Positions of the Society Integration Policy 2010-2016” was
developed. During the development of the document, by consulting experts and representatives
of civic society, it was improved and updated according to the opinion obtained during
consultation. Planning period stage was changed in the draft document and action fields were
specified, thus the title of the document now is "Main Positions of the Society Integration
Policy 2011-2017" and it sets four main fields of integration policy:
1. strengthening of the national identity, including the acquisition of citizenship and promotion
of civic participation;
2. cross development of the cross-cultural dialogue, including the development of
communication skills and competences, cross-cultural dialogue space and the state language
skills;
3. prevention of discrimination and promotion of tolerance;
4. integration of immigrants,
the implementation of which envisages the involvement of also other state administration and
municipal institutions.