Latvia — Surveys with Refugees from Ukraine: Needs, Intentions, and Integration Challenges (July - September 2023)

This report is based on a survey of displacement patterns, needs and intentions conducted by IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) in the countries included in the Regional Response Plan for Ukraine in 2023: 6 countries neighbouring Ukraine – Belarus, Hungary, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania and Slovakia – and other 5 countries particularly impacted by the arrivals of refugees from Ukraine since the start of the war in February 2022 – Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The analysis presented in this report is based on data collected between July and September 2023.

Key Findings: 
 

• Top oblasts of origin: Khersonska (29%), Donetska (17%), Zaporizka (15%), Luhanska (7%), Dnipropetrovska (5%), Kharkivska (5%)
• Intentions to move: Latvia is a transit country for many refugees from Ukraine. The majority of respondents planned to move to another country (72%). The top 3 indicated countries were Poland, Russian Federation and Germany. Others intended to move to a different location in Ukraine (22%) or return to their place of origin in Ukraine (1%). 
• Employment status: Unemployed and looking for a job (50%), retired (31%), employed (8%), unemployed and not looking for a job (5%), parental leave (2%). 
• Top needs:* General information (84%), food products (22%), personal safety (3%), medicine (3%), health services (2%), long-term accommodation (2%). 
• Top areas of assistance received:* food products (73%), financial support (60%), housing (35%), personal hygiene and sanitary supplies (20%), transportation (13%). 
  
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