Refugee quota too small to affect Latvia's job market

According to the head of Latvia’s State Employment Agency, Inese Kalvane, should the country’s quota of approximately 700 refugees be permitted to work from the first day of their arrival, Latvia’s labor market will not face any disruptions.

She said at present, 700 new arrivals cannot be considered a large number of jobseekers.

She added the number is too small to cause any problems to the job market.

"The question is about the arrivals’ qualifications and language skills,” said Kalvane. “It is important to understand what they are able to offer, and what employers need. 

“Immigrants usually have language problems, so it is important they understand what employers want from them. 

“We currently have no information about any of these aspects.”

The Kalvane also noted that under current Latvian legislation, people who have not been granted the status of a refugee are not allowed to work, and the law should therefore be amended.

On September 9, 2015, European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker proposed in his State Of The Union address to the European Union, that EU member states should accept 160,000 refugees via mandatory refugee quotas. 

Juncker also called on EU member states to ensure the asylum seekers are granted the right to work in the countries they have been relocated to.

Latvian officials have repeatedly said that they will not support mandatory refugee quotas. 

Like Lithuania, in summer 2015, the Latvian government agreed to voluntarily accept 250 refugees.

However, in line with EC’s latest proposal, Latvia might have to admit an additional 500 refugees.