On May 21, during an off-site meeting of the Saeima Committee on Citizenship, Migration, and Social Cohesion (the Committee) held at the Society Integration Foundation (SIF) on Raiņa Boulevard 15, Members of Parliament positively assessed the progress made by the Integration and Inclusion Agency of Latvia and proposed to strengthen and continue its operation in the coming years.

Karina Ploka, Chair of the SIF Council, also participated in the meeting, representing the Prime Minister. She stated:
“The SIF Council has developed a very good working relationship with the Secretariat’s management. Although today we are only presenting the work of the Integration and Inclusion Agency of Latvia, I would like to emphasize that the Foundation also administers various programs. We are ready to share what we do and are open to suggestions on what should be improved further.”

The Committee listened to a presentation by Kristīne Kļukoviča, Director of the Department for Cohesion Measures Coordination at SIF, on the Agency’s role in supporting newcomers and promoting the development of an inclusive and cohesive society.

Ms. Kļukoviča emphasized:
“At the center of the Integration and Inclusion Agency of Latvia’s work is the individual, to whom SIF provides real support until a complete resolution of the specific case is reached. Equally important is a systematic and national approach to fulfilling the Agency’s tasks in the long term, as this also strengthens cooperation with representatives from various sectors. Moreover, we are accessible throughout Latvia.”

The Ministry of the Interior and the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs were mentioned as the Agency’s closest cooperation partners, along with other institutions.

From today’s perspective, the services provided by the Agency are clearly a part of and contribute to the socio-economic integration process. Its consulting, psychological, and legal support, document translation, and individual assistance in integrating clients into society have become highly sought-after services for third-country nationals (including Ukrainian civilians) in Latvia.

Another important service highlighted is cooperation with employers, especially in the regions. The Agency’s support facilitates the resolution of various issues related to professional qualification recognition, migration, housing, healthcare, social support, education, Latvian language acquisition, and cultural adaptation for newcomers.

To make it easier for clients to access information in one place, a new website — livelatvia.lv — was launched last year. Educational content about Latvian culture and traditions is also available on the Agency’s social media platforms: Facebook and Instagram @LiveLatviaLV.

Speaking about the future prospects of the SIF Agency (as the current ESF-funded project concludes in December this year), the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Signe Grūbe, confidently stated that the idea behind the Integration and Inclusion Agency of Latvia is highly commendable — also in terms of effective financial resource use. The Ministry of Culture sees the Agency’s services as a potential central platform for integrating third-country nationals into Latvian society and strengthening cooperation with municipalities.

During the meeting, further cooperation opportunities and solutions were also discussed to better respond to migration and integration challenges while strengthening the sustainability of such support measures.

To conclude the session, the Committee members toured the SIF office premises and observed the work of the Integration and Inclusion Agency of Latvia on-site.

Photo credit: Visvaldis Knuts Bērziņš

Services of the Integration and Inclusion Agency are provided by the Society Integration Foundation within the framework of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund’s project (Agreement No. PMIF/13.1./2022/1/01). The funding has been allocated by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (75%) and Latvian State budget (25%).