Latvia plans to cut certain financial support measures for Ukrainian refugees, including assistance for starting work and self-employment, pending parliamentary approval.

The relevant decision must be made by the country’s parliament.

The Latvian government has approved amendments to the law on support for Ukraine’s civilian population – these amendments provide for the discontinuation of certain support measures, including assistance for starting work and self-employment.

This was reported by Mind, citing Delfi.

In 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers allocated €65 million for support, and in 2026 – €39.7 million. Considering the funding cuts, it is necessary to revise the list of support measures and services that will be provided to Ukraine’s civilian population.

Currently, Latvia provides Ukrainians who start working or open their own business with a one-time payment equivalent to one minimum monthly salary. Given that Ukrainians are participating in the Latvian labor market and engaging in economic activities, as well as the presence of other general employment support mechanisms, the continuation of this support has lost its relevance, according to government officials.

At the same time, Ukrainian citizens retain the right to services from the State Employment Agency to the same extent as Latvian citizens.

The bill stipulates that, in the future, Ukrainian citizens will have the same travel benefits on subsidized regional routes as other privileged categories. Ukrainians will not be exempt from patient fees when receiving medical services.

Additionally, expenses for animal registration and compliance with mandatory sanitary requirements will no longer be covered for Ukrainian citizens.

The amendments to the law still need to be approved by parliament.

The Ministry of the Interior reported that the flow of Ukrainians to Latvia remains stable this year – on average, about 500–600 people receive temporary protection status each month. However, the number of Ukrainians arriving is much lower than in the first years of the full-scale war.

In 2025, the number of people whose temporary protection status in Latvia was revoked has increased significantly – due to failure to submit applications for a new residence permit on time.

The labor market situation for Ukrainian citizens is gradually improving. According to the Ministry of Finance, in June of this year, 9,909 Ukrainians were employed. Since 2022, the number of employed Ukrainians and the size of their income have been gradually increasing.

Background: Earlier, Mind reported that the Swiss government recognized certain regions of Ukraine as safe for return.