1st meeting of the regional stakeholder group in Latvia

On 30 August 2023, the 1st meeting of the regional stakeholder group was held in Latvia. The meeting was organised by the University of Latvia. The University of Latvia organised this kick-off meeting for the "SIRM" project with key Latvian stakeholders to present the project's concept and identify further implementation directions.

During the introductory session, the University of Latvia team introduced the idea and activities of the SIRM project, along with the good practices learned during the visit in Podkarpackie Voivodeship in Poland. Additionally, a practical working session was held where Latvian experts discussed challenges related to the social and economic integration of Ukrainian refugees in Latvia, along with the needs for improving policy instruments and existing programmes.

One of the main conclusions drawn from the meeting is that it's important not only to provide social assistance to the Ukrainian refugees remaining in Latvia, but also to establish a stable mechanism that would facilitate easier integration of Ukrainians into society and the labour market.