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.

• Naturalisation rate continues to fall
• Congress of Non-Citizens criticizes Barack Obama’s compliments about democracy in Latvia

 According Vesti Segodnya, the naturalisation rate continues to fall. During this year Latvian citizenship was granted to 1,159 persons who went through the naturalisation procedure. For comparison, Latvian citizenship received 19,169 persons in 2005, but last year 2,213.

During the meeting with the President of Latvia Andris Berzins, the U.S. President Barack Obama stated that Latvia is a strong ally in promoting human rights and democratic values all over the world. Commenting such statement, the Congress of Non-Citizens stated that the U.S.A. overestimates Latvia’s potential in promotion of democracy and human rights. The Congress argued that despite the superficial signs of democracy in Latvia, the access to democracy is limited along ethnic lines and almost 300,000 persons with status of non-citizen in the country; therefore, Latvia should not be characterised as an example of democracy for other countries. As reported, before the meeting with Latvian President, the Congress sent an appeal to Mr Obama asking him to raise issue of large scale non-citizenship in Latvia. Vesti Segodnya