• ECRI delegation visits Latvia
• Article by representative of the Latvian Human Rights Committee, ex-MP Vladimirs Buzajevs about integration and language policies
• 5,500 signatures collected for support of granting Russian language status of official in Latvia
• MP Karlis Sadurskis proposes to set obligatory subjects taught in EU official languages in higher education establishments

Delegation from the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe is visiting Latvia. During the visit the delegation’s members meet the state officials and representatives of NGOs.

Delegation from the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe is visiting Latvia. During the visit the delegations members meet the state officials and representatives of NGOs. Telegraf

Chas prints an article by representative of the Latvian Human Rights Committee, ex-MP Vladimirs Buzajevs about integration and language policies. Mr Buzajevs believes language examinations, ethnic protectionism and citizenship restrictionslead to ethnic differences in employment. 1/2 of ethnic Latvian employees and 1/3 of minority employees were employed at government enterprises in 2002, and greater share of minorities worked in industrial production and construction. Partially this is rooted in 1987, when ethnic non-Latvians constituted 48% of the population, their share among industrial and construction workers was 62%, and 26% in sectors of culture and arts and 17% among leadership of state committees and ministries. In 2011, per capita unemployment among minorities is 16% higher than among ethnic Latvians. The author recalls in 1997 the government stated that in order to facilitate integration of society, the Employment State Agency did not register as unemployed those jobseekers, who could not prove language proficiency. In 2011 the government refuses re-qualification training for unemployed also in Russian language, despite the fact that 39,589 officially unemployed are not able in Latvian.

According to the initiators of the collection of signatures in support of granting Russian language the status of official, they have already collected 5,500 signatures out of 10,000 required for initiation of state funded collection of signatures.

According to the initiators of the collection of signatures in support of granting Russian language the status of official, they have already collected 5,500 signatures out of 10,000 required for initiation of state funded collection of signatures. Vesti Segodnya

The MP Karlis Sadurskis (the Unity) submitted his draft amendments to the Law on Higher Education Establishments proposing that every program will have to include subjects taught in English, German, French or in other official EU languages.

The MP Karlis Sadurskis (the Unity) submitted his draft amendments to the Law on Higher Education Establishments proposing that every program will have to include subjects taught in English, German, French or in other official EU languages. Vesti Segodnya, Diena

• Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe published a resolution on implementation of the Framework Convention for National Minorities by Latvia
• Eurostat: number of asylum seekers in Latvia the second lowest among the EU countries

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe published a resolution on implementation of the Framework Convention for National Minorities by Latvia. Among the main problems, authors of the resolution mention legal restrictions in usage of minority languages, discrimination on the ground of language in the labour market and insufficient involvement of non-citizens in public life.  The resolution recommends Latvia to change its legislation to ensure that ethnic minorities could use their native language in communication with authorities and to make learning of Latvian language more available while preserving education quality in minority schools. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe calls Latvia to stimulate naturalisation, to solve problem of registration of non-citizens’ children as citizens, and to discuss participation of non-citizens including granting voting rights in municipal elections.

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe published a resolution on implementation of the Framework Convention for National Minorities by Latvia. Among the main problems, authors of the resolution mention legal restrictions in usage of minority languages, discrimination on the ground of language in the labour market and insufficient involvement of non-citizens in public life. The resolution recommends Latvia to change its legislation to ensure that ethnic minorities could use their native language in communication with authorities and to make learning of Latvian language more available while preserving education quality in minority schools. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe calls Latvia to stimulate naturalisation, to solve problem of registration of non-citizens children as citizens, and to discuss participation of non-citizens including granting voting rights in municipal elections. Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya

According to the Eurostat, 65 persons asked for asylum in Latvia in 2010 which is the second lowest number among the EU countries. The majority of the asylum seekers were from Afghanistan – 25 persons, Russia and Kirgizia – 5 persons from each.

According to the Eurostat, 65 persons asked for asylum in Latvia in 2010 which is the second lowest number among the EU countries. The majority of the asylum seekers were from Afghanistan – 25 persons, Russia and Kirgizia – 5 persons from each. Chas

• 5,981 persons renounced the status of Latvian non-citizen in favour of other countries citizenship in 2010
• Concord Centre asks to evaluate whether public administrative resource were used for the benefit of All for Latvia! when collecting signatures
• Chas reports about the initiative of the Russian NGOs to hold Days of Russian Culture in May and June

5,981 persons renounced the status of Latvian non-citizen in favour of other countries’ citizenship in 2010. This number is two times greater than in previous years. 5,768 ex-non-citizens received Russian citizenship, 115 persons received Lithuanian citizenship. Representative of the Citizenship and Migration Affairs Office believes that majority of non-citizens choose Russian citizenship because Russia has lower pension age. Regarding Lithuanian citizenship a lawyer Aleksejs Dmitrovs explains that some former non-citizens decided in favour of that country because Lithuania has easier naturalisation procedure.

5,981 persons renounced the status of Latvian non-citizen in favour of other countries citizenship in 2010. This number is two times greater than in previous years. 5,768 ex-non-citizens received Russian citizenship, 115 persons received Lithuanian citizenship. Representative of the Citizenship and Migration Affairs Office believes that majority of non-citizens choose Russian citizenship because Russia has lower pension age. Regarding Lithuanian citizenship a lawyer Aleksejs Dmitrovs explains that some former non-citizens decided in favour of that country because Lithuania has easier naturalisation procedure. Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya

One of the leaders of the Concord Centre Valerijs Agesins appealed to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Regional Development and Local Government asking to evaluate the fact that 14 municipal councils decided not to take a duty from persons signing in custody courts in support of transition of all state funded schools into state language only. Mr. Agesins believes that in this way public administrative resource were used to advance the purposes of one specific political force - political party “All for Latvia!”.

One of the leaders of the Concord Centre Valerijs Agesins appealed to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Regional Development and Local Government asking to evaluate the fact that 14 municipal councils decided not to take a duty from persons signing in custody courts in support of transition of all state funded schools into state language only. Mr. Agesins believes that in this way public administrative resource were used to advance the purposes of one specific political force - political party All for Latvia!. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Chas reports about the initiative of the Russian NGOs to hold Days of Russian Culture in May and June as a continuation of tradition which existed during the first Latvian independence in 1920ies -1930ies. Newspapers print discussion of representatives of NGOs on this issue.

• Nationalist Aivars Slucis: build a wall on the eastern border against the evil and gather together to clean Latvia
• Former MP Vladimirs Buzajevs: the number of ethnic Latvians declined by 3%, Russians by 32%
• Nationalists union delivered to the Central Election Commission 10,111 signatures gathered for the proposal to finance only schools with Latvian language of instruction

Diena publishes article by nationalist Aivars Slucis, who calls to build a wall on the eastern border of Latvia against the darkness, evil, death that is coming out of there during the last 500 years. This should be a psychological wall in the minds and thoughts of ethnic Latvians, as he believes ethnic Latvians are bowing before ethnic Russians despite the facts that Russia is decaying and every year hundreds of thousands of the most educated ethnic Russians are emigrating from Russia and billions of US dollars are being transferred from Russia. Mr.Slucis believes ethnic Russians are descendants of Stalins murderers and he links ethnic Russians to the drug trade in South America, weapons trade in Asia and desecration of Jewish graves in Riga. According to Mr.Slucis, nearly all ethnic Russians in Latvia are the 5th column and without ethnic Russians, there would be no corruption in Latvia. He argues for reduction of ethnic Russian population of Latvia and calls upon ethnic Latvians to gather together for a big public cleaning effort.

Vesti Segodnya interviews Vladimirs Buzajevs, former MP and the author of book How ethnic Russians are being squeezed out. During the last 22 years the population declined by 420000 (14%) and the number of different ethnic groups in Latvia decreased differently: Latvians by 3%, Russians by 32%, Byelorussians by 33%, Ukrainians by 40%, Jews by 57%. The decrease is attributed to emigration and to the number of deaths exceeding births. According to the author, the birth rate among ethnic minorities is 25% lower than among ethnic Latvians, while the number of deaths is 16% higher than among ethnic Latvians. The author believes the differences are caused by various factors, such as citizenship and language legislation and related differences in rights, higher unemployment and hidden discrimination in the labor market, lack of career and education opportunities for younger generations, lack of security for elderly.

Nationalist’s union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM delivered to the Central Election Commission 10,111 signatures gathered for the proposal to finance only schools with Latvian language of instruction. The Commission will check the validity of the signatures and if the required number (10,000) is gathered, the state-funded collection of signatures for this proposal will start in May.

Nationalists union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM delivered to the Central Election Commission 10,111 signatures gathered for the proposal to finance only schools with Latvian language of instruction. The Commission will check the validity of the signatures and if the required number (10,000) is gathered, the state-funded collection of signatures for this proposal will start in May. Diena, Neatkariga, Latvijas Avize, Vesti-Segodnya, Chas

• Vesti Segodnya publishes a reply of the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte to the newspapers criticism towards the new draft guidelines for society integration
• Security Police is checking anti-Semitic statements by a radical Uldis Freimanis
• MP Valerijs Kravcovs continues to sue the State Language Centre

Vesti Segodnya publishes a reply of the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte to the newspapers criticism towards the new draft guidelines for society integration. Mrs Elerte states that by word immigrants the guidelines define community of persons who do not have firm ties with Latvian state. The Minister believes that the aim of this definition is not to offend the people but to speak about the existing problem: there is a large group of residents in Latvia who lives here for a long time but cannot or not willing to join the community of Latvian citizens.

Vesti Segodnya reports that the Security Police is checking statements by a radical Uldis Freimanis made in an interview with channels TV% program Un-censored. As reported, the Anti-Defamation League sent appeal to the Latvian Prime Minister calling him to condemn anti-Semitic statements made by Freimanis on 16 March.

MP Valerijs Kravcovs continues to sue the State Language Centre for the fine imposed for insufficient Latvian language proficiency while working as municipal deputy. Mr Kravcovs appealed the decision of the Liepaja Administrative District Court which recognized that the imposed fine is justified.

MP Valerijs Kravcovs continues to sue the State Language Centre for the fine imposed for insufficient Latvian language proficiency while working as municipal deputy. Mr Kravcovs appealed the decision of the Liepaja Administrative District Court which recognized that the imposed fine is justified. Latvijas Avize