RIGA, June 29 (LETA) - Municipalities will move Ukrainian refugees to sports halls, said MP Viktors Valainis (Greens/Farmers), executive director of the Latvian Association of Large Cities (LLPA), in an interview with the Latvian public television today.

He said that local governments are worried about accommodation of Ukrainian refugees as starting from July 1 state support for accommodation will be reduced. The situation is alarming, accommodation service providers are terminating agreements, local governments have to look for alternatives for accommodating refugees.

"This will be done in sports halls because capacities of local governments have been exhausted," said Valainis.

He said that the association members will hold a meeting on Thursday to discuss the situation. Valainis hopes that local governments and the government will reach understanding on the matter.

Starting from July 1 when the state support for accommodation of Ukrainian refugees is reduced, about 3,000 refugees will have to find new accommodation facilities, LETA learned from the Latvian Association of Local Governments (LPS) on Tuesday.

LPS said that not only Riga, but also other municipalities have already reached the agreed refugee accommodation quotas - Rezekne, Rezekne municipality, Saulkrasti, Tukums, Varaklani, Sigulda and other municipalities.

After failing to receive financial support from the central government, Riga will stop admitting more Ukraine war refugees from July 1 and will only continue to provide assistance to the refugees already living in the city, Riga Mayor Martins Stakis (For/Progressives) said at a news conference Tuesday.

The Riga mayor said that the state allocation for the accommodation of the refugees will be substantially reduced from July 1. The daily support will be cut to EUR 3.5 per refugee, which is insufficient to survive in Riga. Tourist accommodation establishments will not be able to accommodate refugees for such a price, the mayor said.