By not renewing their residence permits, 18,600 Ukrainian residents have lost their temporary protection status in Latvia, the Citizenship and Migration Affairs Office (PMLP) has confirmed.
The Register of Natural Persons currently contains 30,920 residents of Ukraine whose current type of citizenship is temporary protection in Latvia.
According to Eurostat data , a total of 48,000 Ukainians have gained protected status in Latvia since the start of Russia’s war. But the fact that so many have failed to renew that status means that at a stroke the number is dramatically reduced.
The PMLP has changed information in the Register of Natural Persons about 18,600 Ukrainian residents who have lost their temporary protection status in Latvia because they have not applied for a new temporary residence permit within a month of the expiration of their visa or residence permit.
The whereabouts of the missing persons are unknown to the PMLP, but the administration admitted that it is likely a proportion of them have left Latvia. When the temporary protection status expires, Ukrainian residents do not have to report whether and where they are going.
If a Ukrainian resident who has lost temporary protection status continues to reside in Latvia, he or she must submit an application for the renewal of temporary protection status and request a residence permit.
“It is important for those Ukrainian civilians who continue to reside in Latvia to submit documents, as a residence permit is related to the possibility of receiving both benefits and other services,” said Maira Roze, head of the PMLP.
Initially, renewal applications had to be submitted by March 4, but due to low activity, the Citizenship and Migration Affairs Office gave an additional month – until April 4. However, even then activity has remained at a low level.
More details on how to submit an application are available at the PMLP website in Ukrainian: https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/lv/atbalsts-ukrainai-pidtrimka-ukraini-0
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