Latvia expected to accept another 526 refugees, can't avoid solidarity: PM

Under the European Commission's new proposal, Latvia is to accept additional 526 refugees; while Latvia's position that accepting refugees has to be on voluntary basis, it will not avoid solidarity, Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma told the press on Wednesday.

"According to the document prepared by Mr. Juncker (European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker) and distributed among the EU member states, the number (of the refugees to be accepted by Latvia) is 526," she said.

"Our position has not changed today," Straujuma said, repeating that Latvia favored voluntary acceptance of refugees.

"But we will not be avoiding solidarity," she said, adding that no numbers were discussed Wednesday.

Answering questions from the press, the Latvian prime minister would not specify whether "not avoiding solidarity" meant that Latvia would object to additional refugees or agree to accept them.

"It is most definitely premature to speak about the mechanisms and decisions yet to be taken by the Justice and Home Affairs Council and the European Council. This is a proposal by the European Commission president that contains packages of documents to be discussed by the member states. The decisions will be made afterwards. So far this is only a proposal," Straujuma said.

Latvia's ruling coalition and the government will have to agree on the further course of action, she said.

The ruling coalition parties will meet soon to review the European Commission's proposal and adopt Latvia's position. Then there will be voting in the Justice and Home Affairs Council and the European Council where decisions are taken with a majority of votes.

There is no consensus among the ruling coalition parties about support to the proposal by the ruling National Alliance which insists on a parliamentary vote regarding acceptance of any more refugees in Latvia, the prime minister said.

Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis told the press that Juncker's proposal would have to be discussed. It would be very wrong and sad, if the Latvian government collapsed over the subject of refugees, he said.

"It would be very wrong and sad if this matter threatened the government because it is not the only issue that the government has to deal with," Vejonis said.

If about 700 refugees arrive in Latvia, and they will be allowed to work here from the first day, these people will not create any problems to our labor market, said State Employment Agency head Inese Kalvane.

"The question is about qualifications and language skills of these people. It is important to understand what these people are able to do and what employers need," said Kalvane.

Juncker in his State of Union address to the European Parliament has proposed that the EU member states should accept refugees via mandatory refugee quotas.

Latvian officials have repeatedly said that they will not support mandatory refugee quotas. The Latvian government agreed earlier to voluntarily accept 250 refugees, but, in line with the new Juncker's plan, Latvia might have to admit additional 526 refugees. Endit