3rd Regional Stakeholder Group Meeting - Latvia
On March 26, 2024, a 3rd Regional Stakeholder Group Meeting was held with Latvian stakeholders from various organizations to present and discuss examples of support programmes from European regions involved in the SIRM partnership. Additionally, the project “Reception of migrants under conditions of uncertainty: governance and local level inclusion“ (ReCoM) team was engaged to discuss different aspects of Latvian policies concerning migrants and refugees and to explore potential research directions.
The meeting primarily focused on sharing good practices learned from European partner regions during the SIRM experience exchange visits (TLM). A discussion centred on the benefits of these practices and their potential adaptation to Latvia, particularly in addressing the socio-economic integration of refugees and migrants. Participants also reviewed Latvian good practices that could be further promoted within the SIRM partnership and the Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform.
In the second part of the event, the synergy between SIRM and ReCoM projects was discussed. The ReCoM project was presented, which aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the practice and experience of receiving migrants (including Ukrainian civilians) in various areas: education, work environment, municipalities, as well as daily interactions with various institutions and local residents.
Participants engaged in a discussion to answer some of the prepared questions, leading to fruitful information sharing and a better understanding of the aspects, plans, and activities of various institutions involved in assisting refugees and migrants in Latvia. Representatives from present organisations highlighted issues such as a lack of awareness about data and projects among stakeholders, difficulties in obtaining quality data on the refugee and migrant situation in Latvia, and the status of refugees.