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.

• Riga City Council will review applications submitted for events planned to be held on 16 March in Riga
• FHRUL: 70,000 Russian speakers might lose their jobs
• Vesti Segodnya: childrens shop in Riga discriminates Russian customers
• Vesti Segodnya interviews members of the Presidents Advisory Council of Ethnic Minorities about the main problems of ethnic minorities they plan to raise

This week, the Riga City Council will review applications submitted for events planned to be held on 16 March in Riga (unofficial commemoration day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires.) According to a representative of the Council there are no reasons to ban events planned by anti-fascist organisations and supporters of legionnaires. In the meantime, members of Belgian anti-fascist Resistance Movement asked the Belgium Ministry of Foreign Affairs to appeal to the Latvian government to forbid the march of former Latvian legionnaires on 16 March. 

This week, the Riga City Council will review applications submitted for events planned to be held on 16 March in Riga (unofficial commemoration day of Latvian Waffen SS legionnaires.) According to a representative of the Council there are no reasons to ban events planned by anti-fascist organisations and supporters of legionnaires. In the meantime, members of Belgian anti-fascist Resistance Movement asked the Belgium Ministry of Foreign Affairs to appeal to the Latvian government to forbid the march of former Latvian legionnaires on 16 March. Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports that the political party For Human Rights in United Latvia (FHRUL) has calculated that due to raised state (Latvian) language proficiency level requirements for certain posts and professions in the private sector around 70,000 Russian speakers might lose their jobs. The FHRUL considers that the requirement to undertake repeat language proficiency test should not apply to those who have already been working in a certain post.

Vesti Segodnya reports that one of the childrens shops in Riga sells a childrens game with usage instruction only in Latvian at a discount price while the same game with the instruction in Russian is sold at the original price. The newspaper claims that such action is the discrimination of Russian speaking customers.

Vesti Segodnya interviews members of the Presidents Advisory Council of Ethnic Minorities about the main problems of ethnic minorities they plan to raise in the Council. According to the head of the Latvian Association of Russian Culture Jelena Matjakubova the main problems which should be highlighted are the quality and the content of education in minority schools, vocational education in the Russian language and state support to minority-cultural NGOs. Head of the Old Believers Community Illarions Ivanovs believes that the main problem of Old Believers is preservation of culture and language. Director of the Russian Classical Gymnasium Romans Alijevs considers that the most important is the consolidation of the society.