Ukrainian refugees face lack of support for children, language problems and discrimination - study

RIGA - Ukrainian refugees in Latvia face a lack of support for their children, language problems and discrimination, according to a study by the public policy center Providus on the Ukrainian population and their needs in Latvia.

According to Providus, some Ukrainian civilians are exercising their right to receive state and local government support and services. However, data gaps make it difficult to conclude whether the full range of persons in need of support and services is covered.

There is also a lack of data in order to fully assess the adequacy of the support provided. However, the survey and focus group responses suggest that support is not always sufficient or targeted, especially for vulnerable groups.

The study shows that many areas also other Latvian people face the same difficulties. This is particularly the case when it comes to accessibility of the healthcare system, insufficient social support for vulnerable groups or fewer opportunities to find a job when living further away from Riga or in small towns.

However, there are a number of problems that are specific to Ukrainians.

For example, the lack of support for children in the Latvian education system is highlighted. The greatest lack of support is in the Latvian language, which in turn hinders learning and socializing with peers.

The high requirements of Latvian language skills in skilled and highly skilled professions force Ukrainians to take the lowest-skilled jobs or even to engage in illegal employment, which in turn significantly affects their income and social security levels.

Ukrainian refugees also face difficulties in having qualifications acquired outside Latvia recognized in our country.

According to the study, Ukrainians face negative attitudes and discrimination in the housing market, employment, health care and everyday life, especially from Russian-speaking residents of Latvia.

The study also concludes that Ukrainians report a lack of knowledge and information in Ukrainian or Russian on how to deal with issues related to state and local government services, especially those concerning social assistance.

There is also uncertainty and insecurity about their status in Latvia, i.e. Ukrainians do not know how long they will be able to stay in Latvia.

The study conducted by Providus included a survey of Ukrainian civilians living in Latvia, as well as a public opinion poll on the attitude of the Latvian society towards Ukrainians and the assistance they need.

The study also compiled the latest data on the demographic portrait of Ukrainian civilians in Latvia and analyzed the challenges of getting the data right.

A total of 457 people were surveyed during the study.

As the researchers pointed out in their presentation, data on the actual number of Ukrainians living in Latvia varies. At the beginning of this year, more than 43,000 people from Ukraine had been granted temporary protection status. However, the Central Statistical Office, according to various registers, indicates that 26,000 Ukrainians are currently residing in Latvia.