RIGA, April 19 (LETA) - Since Russia unleashed war in Ukraine on February 14, the number of Ukrainian refugees registered in Latvia has reached 21,981, according to the latest data from the Interior Ministry.

So far, 16,501 refugees have been issued residency documents with rights to employment, and 9,493 people have been provided with accommodation.

Interior Minister Marija Golubeva (Development/For) said following a government meeting last Tuesday that the number of refugees needing temporary protection does not tend to grow.

In case the war continues and Russia succeeds at conquering more Ukrainian territories, Latvia will have to consider following Poland's example and accommodating refugees in gyms and heated tents.

Notwithstanding the above, the minister said that already now it necessary to think about providing assistance to those refugees that will decide to stay in Latvia longer than three months. It is also clear that Latvia will have to help people that will not manage to find jobs.

The Ministry of the Interior has also indicated that Ukrainian residents with biometric passports have the right to stay in Latvia for up to 90 days without registration.

As reported, if 30,000 Ukrainian war refugees arrive in Latvia, seven state cities should admit in total of 14,876 refugees, and more than half of them should be admitted by Riga, according to the regulations prepared by the Interior Ministry and adopted by the government on Tuesday.

In line with the new regulations, the number of admitted refugees in each municipality will depend on the overall number of refugees in Latvia and the number of residents registered in the said municipality.