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.

• Saeima in the second reading supported the draft amendments forbidding the employers to indicate requirements for foreign language proficiency in job announcements
• Vesti Segodnya reports about a discussion “Language – Instrument of Integration or Stumbling Rock?”

Yesterday, the Saeima in the second reading supported the draft amendments to the Labour Law forbidding the employers to indicate requirements for foreign language proficiency in job announcements unless those are obligatory required for fulfilment of work duties.After long debates, the Saeima did not support the proposal to attribute the prohibition also to labour agreements. According to the authors of the draft amendments, the aim is to stop linguistic discrimination of potential employees who are not proficient in Russian language because often the employers unreasonably ask for foreign languages, especially, Russian. Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga, Chas

Vesti Segodnya reports about a discussion “Language – Instrument of Integration or Stumbling Rock?” organised by the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art in the framework of a project funded by European Integration Fund for Third-country nationals. Participants – linguists, politicians and representatives of mass media and non-EU citizens residing in Latvia - discussed the role of language as national and state identity factor.