On March 14, 2025, Maira Roze, Head of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (hereinafter – the Office), paid an introductory visit to Inese Kalvāne, the new Director of the Secretariat of the Society Integration Foundation (hereinafter – SIF).
During the meeting, the existing successful cooperation between the two institutions and opportunities for its further development were discussed. The Office and SIF are successfully collaborating on the project "One-Stop Agency," which provides comprehensive support to newcomers – Ukrainian civilians, third-country nationals, asylum seekers, and beneficiaries of international protection – helping them integrate into Latvian society. The task of the "One-Stop Agency" project is to ensure timely support for newcomers who have received the right to reside in the territory of Latvia, in order to promote the development of a cohesive society by creating a systematic and unified state approach, providing the necessary information and consultation support in one place at the One-Stop Agency, and at the same time improving cooperation with representatives of various sectors.
The importance of SIF in providing social workers and mentor services to asylum seekers in the accommodation centers "Mucenieki" and "Liepna" under the supervision of the Office was also emphasized during the meeting. When starting life in Latvia, it is important that people are not left alone and receive quality state support, providing assistance in solving problems and integrating into a new environment. Therefore, SIF provides asylum seekers with the services of a social worker and a social mentor – providing support to asylum seekers in resolving everyday situations, as well as helping them integrate into society.
Significant financial support in this area is provided by the European Union through the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the aim of which is the effective management of migration flows and the development of a common asylum and immigration policy.
The meeting participants also discussed current issues related to the upcoming amendments to the Immigration Law, as well as the work to be done for the implementation of the European Union Pact on Migration and Asylum.
The meeting was also attended by Kristīne Kļukoviča, Director of the SIF Cohesion Measures Coordination Department, Iveta Kancēna, Head of Public Relations at SIF, Vilmārs Mangalis, Deputy Head of the Office, and Madara Puķe, Head of Public Relations at the Office.
