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.

Press Report

The agenda of the yesterday's extraordinary plenary session of the

The agenda of the yesterday's extraordinary plenary session of the Saeima included the final reading of an amendment to the "Employment Law". The amendment suggested by Mr. A.Bartashevich ("Equal Rights") did not allow to deprive an individual of his/her status of an unemployed "on the basis of language, nationality and race". Currently, persons who have graduated from non-Latvian schools are to produce an official certificate of their command of Latvian when applying for unemployment benefits. Persons having no certificates are not registered as the unemployed. The requirement is contained in a decree by the Cabinet of Ministers while the "Employment Law" does not provide for any restrictions on the right to apply for the status of the unemployed with regard to an applicant's command of the state language. Currently, over 11,000 unemployed not holding language certificates cannot apply for benefits. The Saeima declined the amendment. Mr. Bartashevich believes the restriction to be a violation of the European Human Rights Convention and admitted that his faction failed to collect twenty signatures by Saeima members to apply to the Satversme Court.

Yesterday the Saeima failed to vote on canceling the ban on employment of non-citizens as aircraft pilots due to a breakdown of a computer polling system. The voting is to be held today.

Yesterday the Saeima failed to vote on canceling the ban on employment of non-citizens as aircraft pilots due to a breakdown of a computer polling system. The voting is to be held today. Diena

Head of the analytical center of the Russian Duma

Head of the analytical center of the Russian Duma "Yabloko" faction Aleksey Kuzmin in an interview for "DIENA" said that Latvia would be forced to fulfill EU recommendations, including those on citizenship and naturalization. Mr. Kuzmin believes that Russia should support the integration of the three Baltic states in the EU and to influence their policy toward Russian-speakers through the European Union. Diena