RIGA, Aug 25 (LETA) - Responsiveness of municipalities in relation to providing accommodation to refugees is high, but Latvia does not have enough properties that meet the criteria for accommodating potential asylum seekers, said Interior Ministry's state secretary Dimitrijs Trofimovs after the Operative Management Center meeting.

Trofimovs said that participants of the meeting today discussed the possible properties where refugees could be placed.

An agreement was reached on attracting staff for the Citizenship and Migration Affairs Board. 16 employees will be recruited for a time period of six months, mostly technical staff who will provide support to employees who are working with asylum procedure and are close to burnout.

An agreement was reached on signing the cooperation plan between the ministry and the European Asylum Support Office. The agreement on the cooperation plan might be signed next week.

As reported, taking into consideration the steeply increasing numbers of illegal immigrants trying to cross into Latvia from Belarus, the government has declared a state of emergency that will run from August 11 until November 10 in the following municipalities: Ludza Region, Kraslava Region, Augsdaugava Region, and the City of Daugavpils.

Since August 10, a total of 544 persons have been stopped from crossing from Belarus into Latvia.