• State Language Centre fined the Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs for communication in Russian language through social networks
• European Commission (EC) criticizes Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia for excessive requirements for asylum seekers’ admission
• Asylum seekers held a protest action on living conditions in Latvia
• UNHCR campaign “We would do the same!” caused controversial reaction in Latvia
• Courts will not provide free-of-charge interpreters during civil proceeding to all the case participants anymore
• Russian Embassy to Latvia explained why a young Latvian non-citizen was refused to enter Russia without a visa
• State Language Centre: state language skills of the Mayor of the Zilupe Council Olegs Agafonovs do not correspond to the required level
• U.S. Embassy to Latvia is criticized for communication in Russian language in social networks
• The Union of Greens and Farmers: owners of agricultural land should have at least intermediate level of Latvian language skills

 

The State Language Centre (SLC) fined the Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs for communication with residents in Russian language through the social network Facebook. The head of the SLC Maris Baltins said that the fine was imposed after repeated complaints received from the residents. According to Mr Baltins, the local government may provide information in the foreign languages, for instance, in the programme of the city festival, when it is important for all the guests of the capital; other information for example, on broken pipes, should be in Latvian language only. The Mayor Usakovs appealed the SLC decision with an argument that the legal requirements concerning local government’s communication do not apply to foreign social networks. Lsm.lv, delfi.lv, news agency LETA  4.08 11.08

The European Commission (EC) criticizes Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia for excessive requirements for asylum seekers’ admission. As reported, Latvian government set certain criteria for asylum seekers to be relocated to Latvia from Greece and Italy: Latvia will accept families with children, people with higher education, foreign languages skills and work experience. The EC stated that the exemption of asylum-seekers who are unable to meet certain criteria had no sufficient justification. A representative from the Representation of the EC in Latvia Kristine Liepina explained that the refusal to relocate asylum seekers may be justified only in cases if a person imposes a threat to national or international security.  Lsm.lv, nra.lv, delfi.lv, la.lv 5.08

On 8 August, about 20 asylum seekers held a protest action on living conditions in Latvia. According to the asylum seekers who took part in the protest action, the daily allowance (3 EUR per day) is too small while the access to health care, housing and employment is problematic. The asylum seekers called the government and the society called to pay more attention to their problems. Lsm.lv, delfi.lv 8.08

On 11 August,the UNHCR launched a campaign “We would do the same!” in Latvia. The aim of the campaign is to promote more openness and compassion towards refugees as well as to speak about stereotypes existing in the society. The campaign’s posters portraits images of two people – a Syrian refugee with a title “We are running” and a Latvian resident with a title “We would run”. Such campaign’s slogans caused controversial society’s reaction.  The Ministry of Defence came with a statement that the campaign is incorrect as it indirectly asserts that in case of a military conflict Latvian residents would run away instead of defending Latvia. On 19 August, the Ministry has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make a request to the UNHCR to suspend the campaign. Following the negative reaction, an advertisement agency DDB Latvia responsible for the implementation of the campaign in Latvia decided to change the campaign’s slogan to “We are all humans!” Similar campaigns are also conducted in other countries under the slogan “With refugees.” According to the public opinion poll conducted for the Latvian campaign, 55% of Latvian residents have negative attitude towards accommodation of refugees in Latvia and 66% do not want to have refugees as their neighbours. The most negative attitude is among residents of Riga and Latgale (Eastern region of Latvia), persons with low income and lower education level. News agency LETA 11.08, 18.08, 23.08

According to the new amendments to the Civil Procedure Law, the court provides for services of interpreters only to case participants who are free of paying court expenses and are granted state funded legal aid. Up to now, the court was obliged to provide for services of interpreters in the civil proceedings to each case participant who is not proficient in Latvian (state) language. Vesti.lv 12.08

According to the media, a young woman – Latvian non-citizen who studies in one of the Russia’s universities, was refused to enter Russia without a visa. The Russian border guards explained her that the new regulation was introduced as of 10 August; according to it, a visa is not required only for those non-citizens who were born before 1992. When the story went on media, the Russian Embassy in Latvia stated that such regulation became effective as of 17 June 2008 (Order of the Russian Federation President No. 977). According to the Russian Embassy, the visa-free regime applies to Latvian and Estonian non-citizens who were USSR citizens and their children who have passport of non-citizen and are under 18. Thus, these rules apply only to those non-citizens who were born before 6 February 1992 and their underage children. Non-citizens who were born after 6 February 1992 and are over 18 are required visa. Delfi.lv, lsm.lv 15.08

The State Language Centre (SLC) found that Latvian (state) language skills of the Mayor of the Zilupe Council Olegs Agafonovs do not correspond to the required level. According to a representative from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, the Mayor could be dismissed only by the court’s decision; he would be given six months to improve the language skills before the repeated language check. If he fails repeatedly, the SLC should ask the court to withdraw the Mayor’s mandate. In spring 2016, the Minister Kaspars Gerhards submitted the draft amendments proposing to decrease the period when mayors or deputies are given a chance to improve the state language skills from six months to one month with an argument that the currently set period is too long.  New agency LETA 25.08

The U.S. Embassy to Latvia received controversial feedback from users of social networks about its recent initiative to use also Russian language in communication. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkevics commenting the situation said that he does not have any objections regarding the fact that the Embassy communicates in Latvian and Russian language. At the same time, he recommended the U.S. Embassy to revise the way it is done arguing that in cases when the post is written in Latvian and Russian it looks like communication in a country with two official languages; such communication informally legitimizes bilingualism despite the fact that the majority of Latvian citizens said “no” to it at the national referendum in 2012. According to the Minister, the U.S. Embassy promised to analyse its further communication strategy in Russian language. News agency LETA 26.08

The Union of Greens and Farmers submitted to the Parliament the draft amendments stipulating that agricultural land can be owned only by physical persons with at least intermediate level of Latvian language skills and by those legal entities where more than half of the equity capital belongs to persons meeting the same language requirements. According to the author of the amendments the MP Armands Krauze, the farmers should be required to have Latvian language skills for reading and understanding the legal requirements and instructions in order to prevent various risks. Delfi.lv, Vesti Segodnya, 30.08

• Saeima adopted the draft amendments to the Immigration Law
• 22 relocated Syrian asylum seekers from Turkey and Greece arrived to Latvia in June
• Media reports about several hate speech cases
• Number of non-citizens in Latvia has decreased three times
• Study on possible risks to destabilization of the society published

On 9 June, the Saeima has adopted in the third and the final reading the draft amendments to the Immigration Law. Among other provisions, the amendments foresee a fee in amount of EUR 5,000 for extension of the residence permit for foreign investors. The corresponding requirements foresee that those foreigners who have purchased the real estate until the draft amendments adopted in 2014 ( which significantly raised ithe lower threshold of the real estate price required for eligibility for residence permit on the basis of investment in Latvia). will have to pay the fee only after the second extension of the residence permit. However, those who bought the real estate in Latvia after the adoption of the amendments in 2014 will have to pay the fee during the first time of extension. The new amendments also give rights to the Cabinet of Ministers to evaluate the impact of the temporary residence permits on national security or economic development and to set restrictions for granting the permits to third country nationals in certain cases and for certain period of time, but not longer than 5 years. News agency LETA diena.lv, lsm.lv, delfi.lv

In June, two groups or 22 persons of relocated Syrian asylum seekers from Turkey and Greece arrived to Latvia within the refugee quota policy. There are 10 minors among the arrived asylum seekers. In total, Latvia has accommodated 47 relocated asylum seekers. Meanwhile, the participants of the seminar for local civil servants and social integration specialists stressed that finding housing is the biggest challenge for refugees in Latvia as many of the owners of the apartments refuse in renting to refugees.  News agency LETA

Media reports about several hate speech cases.On 30 June the Riga City Zemgale District Court started hearing if a criminal proceeding against Latvian entrepreneur Andris Brencis for comments inciting racial hatred published on the Internet. The man wrote intolerant statements about dark-skinned persons and said that he is ready to shoot them. Another court hearing for hateful comments against Muslims is scheduled for 18 October. The person posted comments saying that converted Muslims must be burned. Currently, the State police is investigating another case concerning comments inciting hatred against sexual minorities. Commenting the tragic events in Orlando gay club, a man wrote a comment supporting mass shooting of gay people. The Security police forwarded to the Prosecutor’s office a criminal proceeding against one of the activists of the “Non-citizens Congress” Aleksandrs Gaponenko for incitement to national hatred. According to Gaponenko’, the criminal proceeding against him was initiated for his post saying that the aim of the U.S.A. tanks is to control Russian activists in Latvia. News agency LETA diena.lv, lsm.lv, delfi.lv

The number of non-citizens in Latvia has decreased three times during past 20 years. According to the Central Statistical Bureau, there were 232,000 non-citizens in Latvian in the beginning of 2016. Tvnet.lv

According to a study on possible risks to destabilization of the society in Latvia conducted by the Security and Strategic Research Centre of the Latvian National Defense Academy, even thou there are Russian speaking residents in Latvia who support Russia’s position, the possibility of mass protests and wide active support to Russia’s actions is very low. According to the study, Latvia’s Russian speaking residents and non-citizens cannot be considered as homogenous group because there is a diversity of opinions among them. For instance, about half of Latvian Russian speaking residents and non-citizens does not support Russia’s message. In general, both Latvian and Russian speaking residents are highly unsatisfied with political and economic situation in Latvia. In addition, both groups agree that economic and  personal security issues are more important than external threats to state security.  News agency LETA, delfi.lv, lsm.lv

 

 

 

• Debates about possible solution for decrease of the number of non-citizens
• Head of the Latvian Roma National Cultural Association Normunds Rudevics proposed to introduce scholarships for Roma children as a motivation for attending the secondary schools
• Information Centre for Immigrants established by the NGO “Shelter “Save House”” in five Latvian cities

The discussion on naturalization and non-citizens, held in the framework of the President’s Centenary Council (the Council established with an aim to monitor the way the nation celebrates its 100th birthday), raised debate on possible solution of non-citizenship issue in Latvia. The members of the Council agreed that it is necessary to look for solutions, but have not proposed any concrete ideas yet. The President Raimonds Vejonis stated that the large number of non-citizens in Latvia is not a good signal, but mass-scale naturalisation would not be the right solution. Also the group of experts on integration, formed by the President, analyses various solutions for decreasing the number of non-citizens, for instance, granting automatic of citizenship to children or easing the naturalisation procedure. The Mayor of Rezekne (city in the Eastern part of Latvia) Aleksandrs Bartasevics stated that granting voting rights to non-citizens, thus increasing their loyalty towards the state and promoting national stability, could be a step forward. The MP Raivis Dzintars (National Union) supported an idea about a campaign promoting patriotism and motivating residents for naturalisation. However, he does not support further easing the naturalisation procedure, allegedly because it is already easy enough. According to the Register of Residents, there were 1,304,392 citizens and 252,017 non-citizens in Latvia in the beginning of 2016. News agency LETA, lsm.lv, delfi.lv, Latvijas Avize

The Head of the Latvian Roma National Cultural Association Normunds Rudevics proposed to introduce scholarships for Roma children as a motivation for attending the secondary schools. According to Mr Rudevics, the most of Roma families have low-income status, and if the child knows he can bring benefit to the family, it will be a motivation to attend the school. Mr. Rudevics also believes that Roma should be given quotas in higher education establishments. Neatkariga

The Society “Shelter “Save House”” established the Information Centre for Immigrants in the framework of the project granted by the Ministry of Culture. The Information Centre is established in Riga, Liepaja, Daugavpils, Cesis and Jelgava. The task of the centre is to provide consultations to immigrants on employment, education, social aid and other issues. More information is available at: http://www.patverums-dm.lv/en/information-centre-for-immigrants-is-open-in-riga-and-four-latvian-regions/768

• Second group of asylum seekers arrived to Latvia
• MPs will evaluate anti-Semitic statements made by the MP Karlis Serzants

The second group of 15 asylum seekers, including 7 minors, has arrived to Latvia. The group of arrived persons includes two families from Syria and two families from Iraq. As reported, Latvia has taken an obligation to accept 531 asylums seekers from Greece and Italy within the EU refugee relocation programme. News agency LETA

The MP Martins Bondars called the Saeima’s Mandates, Ethics and Submissions Committee to evaluate anti-Semitic statements made by the MP Karlis Serzants (Union of Greens and Farmers.) As reported, Mr Sezants said that persons who are actively engaged in pro-Russia’s and pro-Putin’s propaganda, such as Tatjana Zdanoka, Illarions Girss, Aleksandrs Gaponenko and Josifs Korens, belong to a “very smart” ethnic group. When a journalist asked to explain which ethnic group he means, Mr Serzants replied that he means Jews. News agency LETA

• Security Police initiated criminal proceedings for an online petition in support of Latvia’s merge with the U.S.A.
• The MEPs from Latvia and Estonia initiated a petition to the European Parliament in support of widening political rights of Latvian and Estonian non-citizens

According to the news portal ves.lv, the Security Police has conducted a search in the place of residence of ex-editor of the portal Deniss Barteckis in connection with an initiated criminal proceeding. The media admit that the criminal proceeding is initiated for an online petition in support of Latvia’s merge with the U.S.A. published by Barteckis on the Internet. The petition was published in February 2016 in response to the fact that the court sentenced Maksims Koptelovs with six months of imprisonment for collecting signatures online in support of Latvia’s merge with Russia. At the end of the petition’s text for merge with the U.S.A., similarly to Koptelovs’ petition, the author noted that it is a joke. In February 2016, another joke petition was published online calling for Latvia’s merge with “Galaxy Empire”. Ves.lv, delfi.lv

The MEPs from Latvia and Estonia – Andrejs Mamikins, Tatjana Zdanoka and Yana Toom, have initiated a petition to the European Parliament in support of widening political rights of Latvian and Estonian non-citizens. In particular, the MEPs call to draw attention to the fact that the number of seats allocated for Latvia and Estonia in the European Parliament is disproportionally high because those are allocated in accordance with the entire population of Latvia and Estonia including also Latvian and Estonian non-citizens, while non-citizens are not allowed to vote in the elections. The petition also emphasizes the fact that in Latvia non-citizens do not have the rights to vote and stand as candidates in both national and local elections, but in Estonia - to stand as candidates and be members of political parties.  Delfi.lv