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.

• Diena features an article on the migration policy
• Latvijas Avize features an interview with the Ukrainian Ambassador to Latvia Raul Chilachava
• Article about a Romani family from Madona
• 113,972 persons were granted Latvian citizenship through naturalisation since 1995
• Andrejs Klementjevs: The Concord Centre represent interests not only of Russians

Diena features an article on the migration policy in Latvia. According to the newspaper the Latvian employment market needs guest workers. However, only two political parties have clearly defined their migration policy in their pre-election programs – For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM and the Concord Centre. FF/LNIM is negative towards the influx of guest workers in the country, while The Concord Centre supports employment of foreigners. The professor of the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga Vjaceslavs Dombrovskis commented that avoiding the issue reveals that other parties do not want to talk about the controversial issue.

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the Ukrainian Ambassador to Latvia Raul Chilichava. According to Mr. Chilachava of 60,000 ethnic Ukrainians who live in Latvia, about 15,000 have become citizens of the country. The Ambassador believes that if the rest of Ukrainians want to stay in Latvia they have to naturalise and become full-fledged citizens.

Latvijas Avize prints an article about a Romany family from Madona (town in the central eastern part of Latvia) - Dzintars and Helena Burkevics who participated in a public discussion on the draft national program Roma in Latvia. Helena Burkevica, the head of the Romany Cultural Society of Madona, stated that issues faced by Roma in Latvia require immediate solutions. She also noted that it is crucial that Roma receive education as education is a key factor to get a good job which would then ensure better living conditions.

113,972 persons, including 12,852 children, were granted Latvian citizenship through naturalisation since the procedure was launched in 1995.

113,972 persons, including 12,852 children, were granted Latvian citizenship through naturalisation since the procedure was launched in 1995.

NRA features an interview with the MP Andrejs Klementjevs (The Concord Centre). Mr. Klementjevs stated that the party The Concord Centre represents not only interests of Russians but also of all residents in Latvia. Andrejs Klementjevs noted that no division along ethnic lines in politics should exist, because in fact people are already integrated and all Latvian residents have similar problems.