Regarding the Action Plan for Co-ordinated Action of Institutions in Relation to Possible Mass Influx of Asylum Seekers in Latvia from the Countries Affected by Crisis

1. To approve the Action Plan for Co-ordinated Action of Institutions in Relation to Possible Mass Influx of Asylum Seekers in Latvia from the Countries Affected by Crisis (hereinafter - the action plan) (Annex).

2. If the action plan is being implemented, the involved institutions shall ensure the measures for risk prevention and overcoming, as far as possible, within the framework of the budget resources allocated thereto. To examine the issue regarding granting the additional resources, where necessary, in the Cabinet separately in each particular case.

3. To determine that the responsible institution for updating the action plan and control of the performance of the tasks provided therein is the Ministry of the Interior.

Prime Minister V. Dombrovskis

Minister for the Interior R. Kozlovskis

Annex
Cabinet Order No. 312
4 July 2012

Action Plan for Co-ordinated Action of Institutions in Relation to Possible Mass Influx of Asylum Seekers in Latvia from the Countries Affected by Crisis

Abbreviations used in the plan

MoD - the Ministry of Defence

MoFA - the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

MoI - the Ministry of the Interior

MoW - the Ministry of Welfare

MoT - the Ministry of Transport

MoH - the Ministry of Health

MoA - the Ministry of Agriculture

PSA MoI - the Provision State Agency of the Ministry of the Interior

LAA - the Legal Aid Administration

LRC - the Latvian Red Cross

NAF - the National Armed Forces

SEMS - the State Emergency Medical Service

NGO - Non-governmental organisations

OMC - the Operative Management Centre

OCMA - the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs

FVS - the Food and Veterinary Service

CDPC - the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

UNHCR - the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

HI - the Health Inspectorate

SMR - the State Material Reserves

SBG - the State Border Guard

SFRS - State Fire and Rescue Service

I. General Provisions

1. The Action Plan for Co-ordinated Action of Institutions in Relation to Possible Mass Influx of Asylum Seekers in Latvia from the Countries Affected by Crisis (hereinafter - the action plan) shall be a planning document which has been developed in accordance with the task laid down in Paragraph 2 of the Minutes Decision of the Cabinet meeting of 15 November 2011 (minutes No. 67 65.§) "Informative Report Regarding Action in Relation to Asylum Seekers". The action plan determines the set of measures to be carried out by responsible authorities if a mass influx of asylum seekers in the State territory is expected or detected, and the authorities are not able to ensure reception of asylum seekers.

2. The objective of the action plan is to determine the preventive and response measures for institutions, and also availability of the resources of the institutions and procedures for involvement in response measures in relation to a mass influx of asylum seekers in Latvia from foreign countries.

3. The information regarding conditions upon setting in or detection of which the implementation of the relevant measures should be commenced shall be included in the action plan.

4. In order to ensure quick, co-ordinated and clearly defined performance of the action plan for all involved authorities and organisations, the head of the responsible institution referred to in the action plan shall assess the necessity for each involved institution and organisation to develop the procedures or plan for timely action in relation to a mass influx of asylum seekers (or threats thereof) in Latvia and ensure submission of the relevant procedures or plan to the Ministry of the Interior.

5. The following information shall be included in the developed procedures or plan in conformity with the competence:

5.1. the conditions upon setting in or detection of which the implementation of the relevant measures should be commenced;

5.2. the capacity for accommodation of asylum seekers - assessment, solutions, responsible persons;

5.3. ensuring asylum seekers with medical assistance - assessment, solutions, responsible persons;

5.4. ensuring asylum seekers with food and drinking water - assessment, solutions, responsible persons;

5.5. ensuring anti-epidemiological, medical, public health protection measures, and household conditions, and also control of hygiene, food, and drinking water quality at the places of long-term accommodation - assessment, solutions, responsible persons;

5.6. ensuring the public order and safety measures at the places of long-term accommodation and in the vicinity thereof - assessment, solutions, responsible persons;

5.7. provision of social services - assessment, solutions, responsible persons;

5.8. the performance of technical and informative provision activities with asylum seekers - assessment, solutions, responsible persons;

5.9. ensuring with road transport for movement of asylum seekers - assessment, solutions, responsible persons;

5.10. planning of support measures for minor asylum seekers not accompanied by their parents;

5.11. ensuring asylum seekers with legal assistance - assessment, solutions, responsible persons;

5.12. the authorised representative of the institution in OMC.

6. If mass influx of asylum seekers has been detected in the administrative territory of the Republic of Latvia and it is necessary to make amendments to the procedures or plan developed by the institution, the head of the responsible institution shall ensure making amendments and approval thereof, and also submission of the updated procedures or plan to the Ministry of the Interior.

7. If the action plan is being implemented, the institutions involved in the measures for risk prevention and overcoming thereof shall ensure the performance of their tasks within the framework of the State budget resources intended for them. The issue regarding granting the additional resources to the involved institutions, where necessary, will be examined in the Cabinet separately in each particular case.

II. Implementation of the Action Plan

8. The measures referred to in the action plan shall be implemented if:

8.1. the number of asylum seekers within a short period of time (1-5 days) exceeds the capacity of long-term accommodation of the SBG and OCMA and the number of the arrived asylum seekers exceeds 500-3000 persons;

8.2. 3000-20000 asylum seekers arrive concurrently (within 5-10 days) in the country.

9. The Minister for the Interior upon proposal of the SBG shall take a decision to implement the action plan and inform the Prime Minister thereof.

10. The action plan may be implemented in one or several administrative territories of the Republic of Latvia.

11. The SBG shall immediately inform the following institutions regarding implementation of the action plan:

11.1. OCMA;

11.2. SEMS;

11.3. the State Police;

11.4. NAF;

11.5. the Security Police;

11.6. SFRS;

11.7. local governments in the administrative territory or proximity of which mass influx of asylum seekers has occurred;

11.8. MoD;

11.9. MoH;

11.10. MoFA;

11.11. LRC;

11.12. UNHCR;

11.13. LAA.

12. Where necessary, other institutions and organisations are additionally informed regarding implementation of the action plan.

13. After receipt of the information regarding implementation of the action plan, all involved institutions shall act in conformity with the procedures or plan referred to in Paragraph 4 of the action plan. The NAF shall not participate in the performance of the plan if the state of exception is declared in the State and the NAF must concurrently perform the tasks which are related to the national defence measures.

14. If the action plan is being implemented, the Minister for the Interior shall establish the OMC for risk prevention and overcoming thereof.

III. The Operative Management Centre

15. The OMC is the working group of the representatives delegated by the involved institutions and established for risk prevention and overcoming thereof the task of which is planning the measures for the risk overcoming and co-ordination of the performance thereof. Until the commencement of the operation of the OMC, the SBG in co-operation with the OCMA shall be responsible for the management of response measures in relation to mass influx of asylum seekers.

16. The MoI shall be responsible for the determination of the place of deployment of the OMC.

17. The OMC shall be chaired by the Minister for the Interior or his or her authorised official.

18. The following authorised representatives shall be in the composition of the OMC:

18.1. SBG;

18.2. OCMA;

18.3. the State Police;

18.4. MoFA;

18.5. MoI;

18.6. MoD;

18.7. MoH;

18.8. NAF;

18.9. the Security Police;

18.10. SEMS;

18.11. SFRS;

18.12. local governments in the administrative territory or proximity of which mass influx of asylum seekers has occurred.

19. The OMC has the following functions:

19.1. to co-ordinate the implementation of the tasks referred to in the action plan;

19.2. to organise compilation of the information regarding possible places for accommodation and variants thereof;

19.3. to determine the places and possibilities for the establishment of field camps and assign responsible officials;

19.4. to organise requesting additional forces and means and involvement thereof in the response measures;

19.5. to organise exchange of information between the OMC and other involved institutions;

19.6. to ensure the transfer of information to mass media;

19.7. to invite the Minister for the Interior to express a suggestion to the Prime Minister to convene an extraordinary meeting of the Crisis Management Council.

20. Where necessary, the head of the OMC may invite also representatives of other institutions and organisations to act.

21. Information regarding the measures which are related to risk prevention or overcoming thereof shall be distributed only by the head of the OMC or his or her authorised official.

22. The representatives of the institutions in the OMC involved in the implementation of the plan referred to in Paragraph 4 of the action plan shall provide the intended information by the intermediation of the representative delegated by its institution in the OMC or directly to the head of the OMC.

IV. Action Plan

Minister for the Interior R. Kozlovskis

Translation © 2018 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)