It is time for a tougher and more responsible migration policy across Europe, stated the Prime Minister of Latvia, Evika Silinia (New Unity), reports LETA.
In her statement on social media, Silinia emphasizes that the citizens of Latvia and the European Union must "first and foremost be protected by ourselves — their safety cannot be jeopardized due to illegal migration."
The Prime Minister proposed to review the principles of migration and asylum provision at a European level. Work in this direction began in May in collaboration with leaders from eight other countries. "More and more other European states are joining our initiative," claims Silinia.
She acknowledged that Latvia has been facing pressure from illegal migration for several years, spending significant resources on protecting both Latvia's and the EU's external borders.
Earlier, the Union of Greens and Farmers (UGF) demanded explanations from Foreign Minister Baiba Braže (New Unity) regarding planned actions aimed at recognizing a similar special situation for Latvia as in Poland, which, according to the UGF's statement, will allegedly be exempted from the EU migration pact's requirements for the redistribution of migrants and related financial sanctions in the near future.
However, Braže responded on social media on Wednesday afternoon that "there is no Polish exception regarding the migration pact and there is no corresponding decision." She also pointed out that "these issues fall under the competence of the Ministry of the Interior," adding that "disinformation is being spread not only from Russia but also within Latvia itself."
