During the time refugees spend in the asylum-seekers' housing center in Mucenieki, the state will work out an individual integration program for each refugee, taking into account what jobs the persons are qualified to work.
"[We'll see] not only that each person is provided a job, but we need also to look if it's a family with children to ensure the children have the chance to attend a kindergarten and school," Pētersone-Godmane said.
It is also planned to start teaching the refugees Latvian as soon as possible.
That's why it is hoped that, a year after arriving here, when the state benefits for a person or a family runs out, they will have already integrated in Latvia.
One of the contested points of the plan is the €256 monthly refugee benefit, which is taken away when the person lands a job.
"We had discussions at the [Saeima] work group [for accepting refugees] and we think that the benefits should be kept for 12 months. It's a political decision. [..] If we want these people to take off and gain some stability in Latvia, we would definitely talk about keeping this benefit," Pētersone-Godmane said.
She also told Latvian Radio about the basic criteria for selecting refugees that would ensure an easier integration process. In short, these groups of people are preferred:
- Families with children who go to school, and thus can be easier taught Latvian;
- One of the two parents speak at least one of the languages of a European country;
- Persons who have identity documents;
- Persons who are educated.
The work group has also arrived at a conclusion that there's not enough capacity at the Mucenieki asylum-seekers' housing center, but there are two unfinished buildings at the center that'll have to be finished for about a million euros.
Meanwhile, on Monday Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma said that the Latvian ruling coalition agreed, in principle, to lower the allowances to refugees, which currently are set at €256 a month for 12 months.
