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.

22 July 2014 

• Non-citizens do not apply for naturalisation mainly because of the fear to fail Latvian language examination
• The State Language Centre conducted 2327 state language usage checks and imposed 443 administrative fines during the first half of 2014 

According to the Head of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Justice Vilnis Jekabsons, 220 persons renounced Latvian citizenship and 56 persons were deprived of Latvian citizenship during 2013. The loss of Latvian citizenship is related to the issue of dual citizenship, because Latvian legislation allows dual citizenship only with specific set of countries. According to Mr Jekabsons, every year, around two thousand people receiving Latvian citizenship through naturalisation, while around three thousand Latvian non-citizens take Russian citizenship and remain permanent residents of the country. The main reasons why people do not apply for naturalisation are the fear to fail Latvian language examination as well as the hope that the citizenship would be given by registration or the requirements simplified. Currently, 41% of the naturalisation applicants fail Latvian language exam and 23% fail history exam. Vesti Segodnya 

During the first six months of 2014, the State Language Centre conducted 2327 checks of state language usage and imposed 443 administrative fines. According to the Head of the Language Control Regional Section of the State Language Centre Antons Kursitis, more than a half of the fines were imposed for insufficient language usage at work. During the same period, the citizens informed about 502 possible violations of the State Language Law. The State Language Centre also calls on citizens to inform about possible lack of compliance with the requirements of the State Language Law in the future. Latvijas Avīze