The capacity of the accommodation centers for asylum seekers in Latvia is approaching a critical limit, stated the Ministry of the Interior.
The draft government resolution on the redistribution of funding for the Ministry of the Interior indicates that due to the ongoing instrumentalization of migration by Belarus and the military aggression of Russia in Ukraine, as well as Poland's resumption in July of this year of border control at the border with Lithuania and Germany, the number of asylum seekers in Latvia has begun to rise rapidly again, creating a significant burden on the Latvian asylum system, including accommodation centers.
The number of asylum seekers is rapidly increasing again: in 2022, 546 people applied for asylum in Latvia, including 161 minors; in 2023, this number rose to 1,624 people and 278 minors respectively; in 2024, there were 801 people and 151 minors; and as of October 30 of this year, 1,057 people had applied for asylum, including 245 minors.
As of October 31, the occupancy of the two accommodation centers for asylum seekers - Mucenieki in the Ropaži municipality and Liepna in the Alūksne municipality - exceeded 80%.
The total capacity of the centers is 702 places, including 450 places in Mucenieki and 252 places in Liepna.
Due to the rapid increase in the number of asylum seekers, the processing time for asylum applications is increasing, and consequently, the time for accommodating asylum seekers in the centers. This year, an average of 420 people are in the centers daily, and the average length of stay is about 300 days, which is significantly longer than in 2023 and 2024. Currently, the number of asylum seekers is increasing by about 45-50 people per week, the Ministry of the Interior reported.
The increase in the number of asylum seekers requires urgent measures to meet housing and basic needs, as well as special needs. About 90 additional beds can be accommodated in the centers. The burden on the staff of the centers is also significantly increasing.
The Ministry of the Interior will appeal to the government to allow the redistribution of funding in the amount of 225,674 euros in favor of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs to work with asylum seekers.
