More than half of refugees leave Latvia after receiving protection: Red Cross

More than half of the asylum seekers who have received protection in Latvia since April this year have already left the Baltic country, the Latvian Red Cross informed.

The Latvian Red Cross, whose employees have been mentoring the refugees Latvia has been taking in under an European Union-wide relocation program, said the main reason for the trend was the refugees' unrealistic expectations about life in Latvia.

The humanitarian NGO has been working with 63 people relocated to Latvia from other EU member states as part of the scheme, as well as a number of other asylum seekers who had arrived in Latvia illegally.

Employment issues have been the main reason causing the refugees to leave Latvia, Red Cross representatives said at a news conference.

"Employers have been very cooperative. We have a whole list of employers offering job vacancies," said Uldis Likops, secretary-general of the Latvian Red Cross.

However, only two labor contracts have been concluded so far, he said.

The main reason for the problem is the refugees' poor knowledge of Latvian, differences in work culture and a desire to maintain the status they had in their country of origin, Red Cross representatives said.

"They represent various professions. There are also teachers, physicians and very many entrepreneurs among them, perhaps this is what prevents them from starting from scratch here," said social mentor Raimonda Jakobsone.

As for housing, it has been provided to all asylum seekers who have been granted protection in Latvia. Refugee children have been enrolled in schools or registered for admission in kindergartens.

According to Red Cross data, 45 asylum seekers have been granted official protection in Latvia since April. About 20 of these people, or four families, have stayed in Latvia. The others have left.

"They were surprised to find that not all member states of the European Union are alike, that Latvia is not so rich. They did not know or had not been informed about it, although this is what we always tell them when we first meet them, that Latvia is different," Likops said.

Latvia is expected to admit 531 of the roughly 120,000 asylum seekers currently living in Greece and Italy. The first two families of asylum seekers arrived in Latvia in early February. Endit