(MENAFN) The Latvian government has approved amendments to its refugee support law, significantly reducing financial assistance for Ukrainians and cutting several benefits.

Latvia — one of Kiev’s strongest allies within the EU and home to at least 50,000 Ukrainian refugees since February 2022, according to Eurostat — will lower its aid budget from €65 million ($75.6 million) to €39.7 million ($46.2 million) next year, a news agency reported on Tuesday.

As part of the new measures, Ukrainians will lose allowances previously granted for starting a new job or launching self-employment. The Finance Ministry argued that such support has “lost its relevance” due to refugees’ active participation in the local labor market.

The bill also stipulates that, “in the future,” Ukrainians will no longer be exempt from patient fees for medical care, or from payments related to animal registration and sanitary requirements.

Last week, Ukrainian MP Viktoria Grib revealed that the European Commission had informed Kiev it would not extend the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) for Ukrainian refugees beyond March 2027. The TPD currently offers beneficiaries residence permits, housing, employment access, healthcare, education, and social assistance across the EU.

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