Dombrava terminates Interior Ministry's memoranda of cooperation with two associations

Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava (National Alliance) has announced that he has terminated the memoranda of cooperation between the Interior Ministry and two non-governmental organizations: "I Want to Help Refugees" and "Latvian Women's NGO Cooperation Network." The memoranda were previously signed by his predecessors. Dombrava justified his decision by alleging misuse of state budget and European Union funds.

According to Dombrava, both organizations have received hundreds of thousands of euros from the state budget and EU funds, and audits are currently underway. He stated that an analysis of programs that also provide funding from Interior Ministry sources for NGOs has been initiated. He claimed that a series of projects worth hundreds of thousands of euros have been implemented, and a random check by the Ministry of Finance of one project revealed that a full 100% repayment will be required due to gross violations.

The minister emphasized that the ministry sees highly suspicious activities in the projects and that law enforcement agencies may need to get involved in some projects. He alleged that NGOs pretended to integrate people by, for example, taking them to the circus, spending hundreds of thousands of euros. He also noted that one of the organizations has a first-instance conviction, which is a disqualifying factor for receiving EU funding.

The Interior Ministry has already identified serious violations in the project "Societal Diversity and Intercultural Communication for Professionals Working with Third-Country Nationals." Furthermore, a board member of "I Want to Help Refugees" has reportedly been involved in Belarus's hybrid war activities, supporting individuals who illegally cross the state border.

The project, whose partners include "Latvian Women's NGO Cooperation Network" and the Latvian Association of Local Governments, is being implemented from July 1, 2024, to April 30, 2027. Its aim is to provide intercultural communication training for 250 specialists, including border guards, NGO representatives, healthcare workers, and educators. The project has received funding of €246,755.