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.

• Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee: naturalisation procedure should become more emotional
• Security Police initiated criminal proceedings about incitement to ethnic hatred in Internet comments
• MP Vineta Porina prepared a reply to the criticism of the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities Knut Volebeak
• Constitutional Court of Latvia refused to provide its opinion about the draft law on citizenship

The Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee considers that the naturalisation procedure should become more emotional because now it is rather bureaucratic or commercial process and does not promote ties with the state. The MPs propose to introduce more solemn ceremony on granting citizenship to a new citizen. The MPs also consider that naturalisation examination should be modified in order to test not the memory of applicants but their comprehension about Latvia. Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga

The Security Police initiated criminal proceedings about incitement to ethnic hatred in comments on an Internet portal www.ventasbalss.lv. The comments were published in February 2012 during the referendum on granting Russian language status of state language in Latvia. According to the portal’s editor, there were sharp debates insulting ethnic Latvians and Russians and the portal’s administration tried to delete the insulting comments. Neatkariga

Head of Latvian delegation to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), MP Vineta Porina (nationalists’ union) prepared a reply to the criticism of the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities Knut Volebeak about draft amendments to the Citizenship Law. In the draft reply, Mrs Porina explains that additional requirements stipulated by the draft amendments in the procedure of registration children as Latvian citizens born in a family of non-citizens are based on the interests of consolidation of the society and national security. Mrs Porina also states that Latvia is a state with sovereign legal acts which should ensure development of Latvia as stabile European state and recommends that it would be better if the High Commissioner turns his attention to the regions violating norms of European security such as Russia and Belarus. The MP’s reply was discussed at the Saeima’s Foreign Affairs Committee and was only taken into consideration by the other MPs, yet not approved. Vesti Segodnya

The Constitutional Court of Latvia refused to provide the Central Election Committee (CEC) its opinion about the draft law on granting Latvian citizenship to non-citizens automatically. The Court explained that if it provides the opinion now it will not be able to consider the appeal to the court about the issue later. The CEC should decide today whether to initiate state funded collection of signatures for support of the referendum on the draft law. Chas