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.

• Vesti Segodnya: rigorous inspections of usage of the state language in Russian minority schools
• Valdis Dombrovskis: Latvia needs to elaborate immigration policy

 

Vesti Segodnya reports that following public protest against the government announced intention to switch minority schools to education in the state language only, the representatives of the Ministry of Education started rigorous inspections of the usage of the state language in Russian minority schools. According to unofficial information of the newspaper, representatives of the Ministry attend the classes and record how much teacher speaks in Latvian and in Russian, ostensibly in order to identify the teachers to dismiss. The inspectors also interrogate children about what is the language they speak during the lessons.

 

Latvijas Avize reports that an Estonian newspaper published an interview with the ex-Prime Minister of Latvia Valdis Dombrovskis in which he said that Latvia needs immigrants for further development and praised the system on granting residence permits to foreign investors. However, in an interview with Latvijas Avize, Mr Dombrovskis stated that the journalists imprecisely interpreted what he has said. According to Mr Dombrovskis he just said thatLatvia needs to elaborate immigration policy with an aim to attract qualified labour force as other countries do. Regarding granting residence permits to foreign investors, Mr Dombrovskis said that about 6,000 foreigners received residence permits using such system which is only 10% of all persons who were granted residence permits in Latvia. Therefore, Mr Dombrovskis questions why there are so many debates about these 10% but no interest about the rest.