Latvia strips over 18,000 Ukrainian refugees of benefits and temporary protection status

More than 18,600 Ukrainian refugees residing in Latvia have lost their temporary protection status after failing to renew their legal documents within the required timeframe, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs revealed.

According to the agency, quoted by Latvian media, these individuals did not submit a request for a new temporary residence permit within one month of their visa or previous permit expiring, Caliber.Az reports.

As a result, they are no longer legally permitted to remain in Latvia under temporary protection. Authorities added that some of these individuals may have already left the country voluntarily.

Losing temporary protection status also means losing access to state-provided benefits and essential public services. In order to regain legal residence, Ukrainian refugees must reapply by submitting a copy of their travel document and a written application. Those whose visas have expired are required to provide a completed residence permit form. In cases where the applicant is a Ukrainian national who also holds citizenship of Russia or Belarus, they must additionally complete a detailed questionnaire for the Latvian government’s reporting procedures.

As of January 1, 2025, Latvia’s Resident Register listed 47,654 individuals under temporary protection, a status typically granted to Ukrainian refugees but not limited to them. Among these, 33,496 were recorded as ethnic Ukrainians. Additionally, 8,673 ethnic Ukrainians residing in Latvia were neither citizens of Ukraine nor Latvian citizens or non-citizens, and did not hold temporary protection status, possibly holding citizenship from other countries. Another 7,194 Ukrainian citizens were living in Latvia under different types of residence permits.

The development comes as Ukraine enters the fourth year of full-scale war in 2025, marked by widespread devastation and humanitarian hardship. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an estimated 3.7 million people are currently displaced within Ukraine, while roughly 6.9 million have sought refuge across Europe and beyond.

By Tamilla Hasanova