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.

• 39% of Roma children give up school due to lack of funds
• Conference of Russian compatriots conducted in Riga
• Leader of the Concord Centre Janis Urbanovics: mass non-citizenship in Latvia is not a problem of non-citizens
• Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte: Russian language is a regional language of post Soviet space

According to a study “Roma Rights for Education: Situation in Latvia” conducted by the Centre for Education Initiative, 39% of Roma children give up school due to lack of funds necessary for continuation of the studies. 34% of Roma stop going to school because they start to work, 13% because they begin their own family life, and 13 % of Roma children stop attending the school due to their parents’ prohibition. According to the Roma parents interviewed in the framework of the study, they are not confident that good education will ensure their children with work and subsistence. 

According to a study Roma Rights for Education: Situation in Latvia conducted by the Centre for Education Initiative, 39% of Roma children give up school due to lack of funds necessary for continuation of the studies. 34% of Roma stop going to school because they start to work, 13% because they begin their own family life, and 13 % of Roma children stop attending the school due to their parents prohibition. According to the Roma parents interviewed in the framework of the study, they are not confident that good education will ensure their children with work and subsistence. Chas

Latvijas Avize reports about the IV conference of organisations of Russian compatriots Russian World in Latvia: observance of ethnic minorities rights – necessary condition for establishment of democracy and society integration held on 19 June in Riga. According to the conferences participants, the main aims of the organisations of Russian compatriots will still include granting all non-citizens Latvian citizenship and granting Russian language status of official in Latvia.

According to the leader of the Concord Centre Janis Urbanovics, mass non-citizenship in Latvia is a problem of the state, and not a problem of non-citizens themselves. Mr. Urbanovics believes that non-citizens do not care about their status anymore because they can freely travel to Europe and Russia. Mr. Urbanovics believes that it is useless to allow or forbid non-citizens to receive citizenship; instead, non-citizens rather should be persuaded to accept the citizenship.

According to the leader of the Concord Centre Janis Urbanovics, mass non-citizenship in Latvia is a problem of the state, and not a problem of non-citizens themselves. Mr. Urbanovics believes that non-citizens do not care about their status anymore because they can freely travel to Europe and Russia. Mr. Urbanovics believes that it is useless to allow or forbid non-citizens to receive citizenship; instead, non-citizens rather should be persuaded to accept the citizenship. Telegraf

Vesti Segodnya publishes an article by the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte in which the Minister explains why she does not support the proposal of the Concord Centre to allow teaching in higher education establishments in Russian language. The Minister considers that Russian language is a regional language of post Soviet space, while English is the world language. Mrs Elerte believes that allowing higher education establishment to provide studies in Russian would strengthen second-rate education in Latvia and ruin state language policy. According to Mrs Elerte, the quality of higher education can be raised only by providing studies in English and other official EU languages.