Latvia is not ready to accept 700 African refugees as part of a quota plan suggested by the European Union, the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs Rihards Kozlovskis told news agency BNS.
Between 2009 and 2013, the population of Latvia's population fell by approximately 70,000 people as a result of both emigration and natural decline a a result of deaths exceeding births. Latvia's current population stands at around two million.
"I can honestly admit that we were not ready for this challenge ahead of time. If today they tell us 'please, this is 700 people,' we are not ready for this," Kozlovskis said.
Kozlovskis added that Latvia similarly does not provide refugee status to people coming from Ukraine, although it does extend visas for those who live with relatives.
