DAUGAVPILS, Riga, March 23 (LETA) - Latvia is likely to receive more than initially forecast 10,000 refugees from Ukraine, Interior Minister Marija Golubeva (For Development) told the press on Wednesday in Daugapils.

The minister said that the exact number of refugees who have already arrived in Latvia is not clear, and the ministry is still working in a unified data base for the refugees. More accurate numbers will be clear in early April.

"Then we will not a more accurate number how many people have asked for help. Now we are counting applications in each separate category - for visas, schools, etc.," the minister said.

The Interior Ministry said earlier that some 10,000 Ukrainian war refugees might arrive in Latvia, but now it is clear that this number will be higher.

It means that some regulations should be changed. The ministry is working on a proposal that requires municipalities to admit refugees proportionate to their population.

"This is to prevent a situation that all refugees stay in Riga. Of course there are several hundreds that have moved to other municipalities, but we want a situation that is fair for all municipalities," the minister said.

The ministry will also address local governments, asking to establish refugee help centers in every region that would be operated as one-stop agency.

The ministry also reminded that the government plans to compensate refugee accommodation expenses to local governments, paying up to EUR 20 a day per adult refugee. Also, there are other support instruments planned, and local governments could pay benefits to those local residents who have taken in Ukrainian refugees in their homes.

As reported, Riga has so far taken in 7,611 refugees from Ukraine, LETA learned at the Riga City Council's press conference on Wednesday.

The Riga City Council has received 1,200 applications for the provision of minimum income, 1,216 applications for crisis benefits and 1,178 applications for EU food packages.

The Riga City Council has handed out 5,974 electronic tickets for public transportation in Riga and 5,405 free SIM cards of Latvian mobile operators.