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.

• High demand for free-of-charge Latvian language courses funded by the Riga City Council
• Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins did not establish a working group on compensation for the Jewish community for the properties lost during the Holocaust
• Activist of a movement „For Equal Rights” Illarions Girs stated he is ready to burn his passport as a protest against discrimination

Neatkariga reports that the demand is very high among Riga residents for the free-of-charge courses of Latvian language funded by the Riga City Council. The Council has approved 14 project proposals for conduction of the courses. According to the organisers of the courses, at the very first day when the courses were opened for applicants the interest was very high and people did not just phone but also arrived in order to fill the application forms.  As reported, the City Council granted LVL 100,000 for the language courses thus 1,668 persons will have a chance to learn the language.

Latvijas Avize reports that the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins did not fulfil the order of the Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis to establish a working group on compensation for the Jewish community for the properties lost during the Holocaust in Latvia. The Minister Berzins explained it by the fact that the process of denationalisation is over in Latvia and that two years ago the Prime Minister already received proposal regarding the restitution issues. The nationalists union All for Latvia!FF-LNIM supported such position of its Minister Gaidis Berzins.

Activist of a movement „For Equal Rights” Illarions Girs stated he is ready to burn his passport as a protest against discrimination of non-citizens in Latvia. Mr Girs believes such action could attract attention of other countries towards the existing situation in Latvia. Chas