Integration and Minority Information Service of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights

• Vesti Segodnya interviews head of the State Service of Education Quality about a teacher of a Russian language school Vladislavs Rafalskis
• MP Ingmars Caklais: requirement for parents non-citizens to sign a paper promising to give the child patriotic education is not new

Vesti Segodnya interviews head of the State Service of Education Quality (SSEQ) Inita Juhnevica about the SSEQ’s position regarding a teacher of a Russian language school Vladislavs Rafalskis. According to Mrs Juhnevica teacher Rafalskis by his public statement on disloyalty towards the state violated the Education Law which says that a teacher should educate patriots of Latvia. Mrs Juhnevica also stated that the SSEQ only recommended the school director to dismiss the teacher and to check all other school teachers for correspondence with the law and will not follow implementation of recommendations by the director.

Head of the Saeima’s sub-committee on elaboration of draft amendments to the Citizenship Law Ingmars Caklais in an interview with Chas asserts that a legal norm which stipulates that parents non-citizens registering their child as citizen of Latvia have to sign a paper promising to give the child patriotic education is not new and it already exists in the law. The majority of the MPs working in the subcommittee did not agree to take this norm out of the law. Mr Caklais considers that such requirement is symbolic approval of attitude towards the state. According to Mr Caklais the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law might be approved by 18 November – the Latvia’s Independence Day. Chas

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Integration Monitor

• Sestdiena features an interview with a Brazilian Thiago who now lives in Latvia
• PhD dissertation “Ethnic stereotypes of ethnic Latvians in the end of XX century – beginning of XXI century”

 

Weekly magazine Sestdiena features an interview with a Brazilian Thiago who immigrated to Latvia from Brazil after he got married with a Latvian citizen.  For Thiago the biggest challenge after moving toLatvia was language and cultural differences. “I try to understand Latvians, what kind of people live here. I’m trying to learn and to understand how Latvians do things and how they feel – says Thiago – the fact that I learn to speak Latvian does not mean I become less Brazilian. ”Thiago is involved in the international project AMITIE funded by the EU and conducted in Latvia by the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and the Department of Education, Sports and Culture of the Riga City Council. The AMITIE informative campaign “This is my story… or our?” informs the society about positive aspects of migration stressing the contribution of immigrants in economic, social and cultural development of the state.

More about the AMITIE project on http://www.facebook.com/AMITIEproject?ref=hl and http://cilvektiesibas.org.lv/lv/media-materials/notiks-informativas-kampanas-sis-ir-mans-stasts-va-223/ (in Latvian)

 

According to a PhD dissertation “Ethnic stereotypes of ethnic Latvians in the end of XX century – beginning of XXI century”, ethnic Latvians call “Russians” all residents who speak Russian or arrived to Latviaafter the WWII including Ukrainians, Belorussians and Jews. According to author of the PhD dissertation ethnic scientist Ilze Boldane, ethnic Latvians consider that a real “ethnic Latvian” is a person one of whose parents is ethnic Latvian, was born in Latvia, studied in a Latvian language school. Vesti Segodnya

• ethnic Latvians emigrate because of insufficient Russian language proficiency
• Minister of Foreign Affairs considers that Vladimirs Lindermans  might be criminally punished for statements about the autonomy of Latgale

Representative of the State Language Centre Antons Kursitis believes young ethnic Latvians emigrate from Latvia because of insufficient Russian language proficiency. According to Mr Kursitis, Russian language is highly demanded in service area but many young ethnic Latvians do not study it at school. Vesti Segodnya

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkevics considers that Vladimirs Lindermans (leader of the party “For Native Language”) might be criminally punished for his statements about the autonomy of Latgale (eastern region of Latvia). According to the Minister, territorial integrity of Latvian state is strictly protected by the law. As reported, Vladimirs Lindermans called to grant Latgale region the status of autonomy thus giving adequate response to the attempt of the politicians not to allow the referendum on non-citizens

• Chas prints an interview with the director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Anhelita Kamenska
• President’s Advisory Council on Ethnic Minorities met with NGOs
• Vladimirs Lindermans calls to grant Latgale region the status of autonomy

Chas prints an interview with the director of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights Anhelita Kamenska. Ms Kamenska believes the potential referendum on granting Latvian citizenship automatically to all non-citizens is a strong reminder about the non-resolved problem of non-citizens in Latvia. Ms Kamenska highlights that the amendments to the Citizenship Law are predominantly aimed at increasing the Latvian citizenry through dual citizenship arrangements rather than by decreasing the number of non-citizens. Although the easing of the registration of non-citizen children should be deemed positive, it is not automatic granting of citizenship to non-citizen children. It also remains to be seen whether the amendments will refer to all non-citizen children born since August 1991. The earlier referendum on granting Russian the status of a second language led to the increased state funding for free Latvian language training courses in Latgale and other integration related programmes. Commenting on the controversy surrounding the teacher of the Russian language school V.Rafalskis (also member of the political party For Human Rights in the United Latvia) and his statements on disloyalty towards the Latvian state, Ms Kamenska states that the opinion alone cannot be ground for his dismissal. However, it is essential that teacher’s political views do no interfere with his work with schoolchildren.

Latvijas Avize reports about a meeting of the President’s Advisory Council on Ethnic Minorities. This time the Council met the representatives of minority NGOs and youth organisations to discuss their vision of society consolidation.

Leader of a party “For Native Language” Vladimirs Lindermans calls to grant Latgale region the status of autonomy thus giving adequate response to the attempt of the politicians not to allow the referendum on non-citizens. Mr Lindermans believes this is what the residents of Latgale desire and their preference will be approved by a study.

• Diena features article about asylum seekers
• Ombudsman Juris Jansons: politicians are responsible for the fact that the issue of non-citizenship is brought to the popular vote

According to Diena, the European Commission might ask Latvia to receive bigger number of asylum seekers. During the last 14 years, 843 persons applied for asylum in Latvia. 47 of those were granted the status of refugee and 79 persons received alternative status. According to un-named former high official interviewed by Diena, it is un-official tactic of Latvia to keep in the country only 15% of asylum seekers. Aim of such tactic is to hinder influx of large number of asylum seekers to Latvia. According to an action plan for case of large influx of asylum seekers elaborated by the Ministry of Interior, Latvia is able to accommodate only 600 asylum seekers at maximum. In case if there is influx of 3,000-20,000 asylum seekers, state institutions would not be ably to fulfil their functions, for instance, police, border guard, army would not be able to ensure security for society and defence of state.

The Ombudsman Juris Jansons believes politicians are responsible for the fact that issue of non-citizenship is brought to the public vote, because they were not able to solve this issue during 20 years. Mr Jansons believes politicians created preconditions for confrontation of the large two parts of society. Neatkariga