Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

• Weekly IR features two articles about Latvian citizens and non-citizens taking Russian citizenship in Latvia and about foreigners who received residence permits in Latvia on the basis of purchasing real estate

Weekly IR reports thataccording the State Social Insurance Agency (SSIA), the real number of Russian pensioners residing in Latvia is unknown because Russia does not provide such data. The SSIA can provide data only about those pensioners who receive Russian pensions through it, but as there are many pensioners who receive pensions directly from Russia the exact number is unknown. According to the official data of the Russian Pension Foundation, there were 20,405 Russian pensioners living in Latvia in 2014. Since 2010 the number has increased by almost 5,000. According to the Register of Residents, there were 54,838 Russian citizens living in Latvia in 2014. According to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, 2,616 persons renounced the status of Latvian non-citizen and 129 persons renounced Latvian citizenship in favour of Russia’s citizenship. The majority of them were people of retirement age. The retirement age in Russia is 55 years for women and 60 for men – comparing to 62 years in Latvia. The Security Police is concerned about the absence of the official data on the number of Russian citizens living in Latvia as it could promote speculations in public space and distribution of information discrediting for Latvia.

According to IR, 13,518 foreigners have received residence permits in Latvia within five years since the adoption of so-called “investors programme.” The majority of the investors – about 10,000 – are Russian citizens. The number of application for residence permits on the basis of purchase of expensive real estate or financial investment in Latvia has rapidly grown after events in Ukraine in February and March 2014 and dropped after the adoption of the amendments which significantly raised the price threshold of the real estate required for applying for residence permit. Thus, since September 2014 until the end of January 2015 – only 67 persons applied for residence permits on the basis of real estate purchase and 23 on the basis of bank deposit investment. According to research conducted by Re:Baltica, the majority of real estate purchasers are Russia’s middle class citizens connected with medium size private business, especially with banks. Currently, the Parliament again discusses possibility to lower the price threshold of the real estate required for applying for residence permit. However, the member of the governing coalition National Union strongly objects to it, arguing that the growing number of Russian citizens in Latvia could endanger state’s security.