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.

• MP Irina Cvetkova left the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee
• Latvian nationalist Aivars Slucis criticizes the legal provisions on granting residence permits

Vesti Segodnya reports that the MP Irina Cvetkova (Concord Centre) left the Saeima’s Society Consolidation Committee. Explaining her decision, Mrs Cvetkova says that before joining the Committee she believed that the MPs can change the situation and create the conditions for consolidation of the society. However, after a short while, Mrs Cvetkova says she understood that in reality the politicians of the governing coalition are not interested in the consolidation, because than they will have no issue which they could use for distracting the attention of the society away from more important issues and the ruling politicians are not capable of doing anything else except for shouting "Russians are coming!"; besides, the ruling politicians feel comfortable enough – so why bother solving problems, such as non-citizenship? Mrs Cvetkova mentions two specific reasons, which motivated her to leave the Committee now: first, - one of the high state officials visiting the Committee openly stated that the integration is not priority and instead, consolidation of ethnic Latvians living in Latvia and abroad is the real priority; second – a fellow member of the Committee wrote a complaint about her to the Saeima's Committee on Ethics, accusing her of negative expressions about Waffen SS. 

 

Latvijas Avize once again publishes the paid publication by well known Latvian nationalist living in the U.S.A. Aivars Slucis. This time Mr Slucis criticizes the legal provisions on granting residence permits in Latvia to foreign investors. Aivars Slucis believes that such provisions promote new occupation and Russification of Latvia as Russians buy real estate and move to Latvia with families. Mr Slucis proposes to set more severe requirements for granting residence permits to investors such as at least LVL 500,000 large investment in Latvian economy; insure at least 10 workplaces for Latvian citizens; pay LVL 100,000 for residence permit for time period no longer than five years.