“During the educational visit, the persons under international protection can obtain a general view of the application of their professions in our country,” Mārtiņš Segliņš, Deputy Director of the education centre “BUTS”, says. “For the participants involved in learning, such visits also ensure a new point of view how to overcome the difficulties in their lives. We are glad that the participants are open and willing to learn new knowledge and skills”.
Representatives of the “Shelter “Safe House”” inform that the asylum seekers were keen to learn and active during the educational visit. They were most interested and asking questions about the perspective professions, internship opportunities and tuition, including about the level of the Latvian language necessary for starting learning, durations of courses, schedules and expenses.
Educational visits are organised after completion of the education programme of social economic inclusion about Latvia. During the educational process that consists of 5 lessons, the participants can learn different information about the state of Latvia, employment opportunities, education, health care, social aid system and other subjects. Participants of the lessons receive practical answers about the subjects they are interested in and that have incurred during their current stay in Latvia. Understanding of the opportunities of resolving own situations bot has asylum seekers and after receiving the status is one of the main benefits gained by the participants of the lessons.
From 1 July 2016 until 30 September 2017, the education programme of social economic inclusion had 17 groups who participated and completed the education, i.e., the total of 401 target group person from 22 countries: Syria — 275, Iraq — 12, Afghanistan — 12, Eritrea — 27, Russia — 5, Belarus — 4, Ukraine — 2, Georgia — 4, Armenia — 10, Azerbaijan — 3, Kazakhstan — 1, Tajikistan — 10, Kyrgyzstan — 4, Turkey — 7, Cuba — 2, USA — 1, India — 8, Sri Lanka — 3, Nepal — 1, Cameroon — 1, Lebanon — 4, Bangladesh — 5. The 18th group consisting of 20 persons commenced learning in the end of September and completed the course in October.
The goal of the project “Support Activities for Persons Under International Protection” is to ensure courses and informative events for the needs of the persons under international protection promoting their inclusion in the Latvian society. The project is implemented by the society “Shelter “Safe House”” within the framework of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund. Its period of implementation: 1 July 2016 – 31 December 2017 The project is co-financed by the European Union. Grant Agreement No. PMIF/9/2016/1/03.
* Education centre “BUTS” is one of the leading professional continuing education institutions in Latvia.
Information was prepared by: Rasa Salina (Rasa Saliņa), Communications and Social Media Expert, e-mail: rasa.salina@gmail.com