Riga, March 7 (LETA) - Local government employees in the Baltic states will be trained in a regional training program on integration of refugees and newcomers, representation of the UN Refugee Agency in the Nordic and Baltic countries informed LETA.

The training aims to strengthen the capacity of municipalities to integrate refugees and newcomers and is currently tailored to the Baltic context. The training model, implemented by various international agencies, is already operational in Poland.

Over the next year and a half, the Integration Academy will provide participants with knowledge and skills on issues such as strengthening intercultural competences and communication, building effective partnerships on integration issues, tackling misinformation, addressing the needs of vulnerable refugee groups and combating gender-based violence.

The training has been developed based on the needs identified by municipal staff, as well as on the experience already gained in hosting a large number of refugees since 2022. The authors of the initiative state that the training will help municipal staff in their work with refugees today, as well as prepare them for possible future challenges. Although migration policy is developed at national level, the integration of refugees and newcomers into local society is made possible by professional staff in municipalities.

According to Karolis Zibas, an expert at the UN Refugee Agency in the Nordic and Baltic countries, successful integration of refugees and newcomers starts at the local level, where municipalities lay the foundations for inclusive and resilient communities. He believes that a focus on knowledge, cooperation and capacity building can support local authorities to make the most of the opportunities that refugees and newcomers bring to their host communities.

The project "Academy for Integration of Newcomers and Refugees in the Baltic States 2025-2026" will be launched on March 12 for municipal staff from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.