Immigration authority moves first refugee arrivals to February

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The first refugees could arrive in Latvia in February, not January as was previously thought, deputy director of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) told Latvian Radio Wednesday morning.

Roze said that on January 18 representatives from the Border Guard will go to Italy and Greece to interview potential asylum seekers and to separate "asylum seekers from seekers of happiness".

She said that Latvia still hopes to admit families with children as admitting such people would be easier and "more pleasant" to Latvia. Upon arriving refugees would start learning Latvian, and social workers would review their career opportunities in Latvia. 

However Roze said that Latvia could for many people turn out to be a transit destination on the way to Western and Northern European countries.

Roze admitted that most refugees want to live in Rīga and Jūrmala. She said that Rīga is planning to hire people to work with asylum seekers.

The Latvian government and the Latvian parliamentary committee on European affairs have supported the plan by the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, for dealing with the migration crisis in Europe under which Latvia would admit from 531 up to 776 asylum seekers.

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