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.

• State officials comment on necessary amendments to the Citizenship Law
• Opinions about the naturalisation process in Latvia
• Interview with the professor of the Moscow State Institute of International Affairs Vitaly Tretiakov on relationship between Latvia and Russia
• Academician Janis Freimanis talks about the possible ways of decolonisation and deoccupation of Latvia

Saeima could review the amendments to the Citizenship Law already this autumn, foresees Latvian daily

Saeima could review the amendments to the Citizenship Law already this autumn, foresees Latvian daily Diena. The newspaper also features the statements of several state officials about the necessary amendments to this law. The head of the Naturalisation Board Eizenija Aldermane points to the necessity to make amendments to define, the citizenship of which state should be conferred to child whose one parent is non-citizen of Latvia, but other – the citizen of foreign country. Special Assignments Minister for Society Integration Ainars Latkovskis believes that there is a necessity to include a universal norm banning a possibility that persons acting against the state and its security could acquire Latvian citizenship. The Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis has supported the opening of the law in order to define more precisely the prohibitions for persons disloyal to Latvia to acquire Latvian citizenship and to facilitate the naturalisation process of several groups of children. Diena

Latvijas Avize features the statements of the Saeima MPs Andris Berzins (Union of Farmers and Greens) and Dzintars Rasnacs (For Fatherland and Freedom.LNIM), and the representative of the NGO ‘Civic Initiative XXI Vjaceslavs Vasins about the naturalisation process in Latvia. Dzintars Rasnacs stresses that it is necessary to change the naturalisation process in order to make sure that naturalised persons are loyal to Latvia citizens. He also believes that the new Society Integration Conception should also be developed. While Andris Berzins believes that it would not be correct to change the naturalisation provisions in the middle of the way. When commenting of loyalty aspect, Vjaceslavs Vasins stresses that it is a private business of the person, at the same time recognising that the largest part of Russians in Latvia live in the some kind of ‘virtual Russia, not identifying themselves with Latvia and regarding the Latvian state as some ad hoc structure. He believes that the large support to the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia among recently naturalised persons could be attributed to the failure of the society integration policy as such as well as to the fact that at the moment the persons, who have protractedly waited for the zero citizenship option, are naturalise.

Latvijas Avize prints an interview with the professor of the Moscow State Institute of International Affairs Vitaly Tretiakov on relationship between Latvia and Russia. According to Vitaly Tretiakov, from the Russias point of view the granting of Latvian citizenship to the Russian-speakers without any additional political requirements for this group is the only serious problem to be solved.

Neatkariga Rita Avize features an article by an academician Janis Freimanis on possible ways towards unified society in Latvia. The academician believes that states realised integration policy is failed and that the complete integration of two communities (Latvian and Russian) on Latvian grounds is impossible. He stresses that in such situation it is necessary to regular weaken one of these communities, or at least, the most radical part of it. The author discusses the forcible decolonisation and deoccupation recognising it as unreal for Latvia as the EU state. At the same time Janis Freimanis states that the promotion of the voluntary emigration is also unacceptable for Latvia as it would require a financial support from the state budget. Hence, believes the author, the only possibility to attain the formation of the unified society is to promote the emigration of Russian minority to the European countries.