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.

• Latvian national report for UN UPR: number of non-citizens in Latvia has decreased 2,3 times during past 20 years
• Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma decided to communicate with local mass media in Latvian language only
• Governing coalition has not reached common agreement about accommodation of additional number of asylum seekers
• Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma: benefits for refugees should be recalculated
• Diena interviews a Latvian citizen of Syrian origin

According to the Latvian national report on human rights situation in Latvia prepared for the UN Universal Periodic Review, the number of non-citizens in Latvia has decreased 2,3 times during past 20 years – from 730,000 down to 262,622 (or from 29% to 12,2% of the total population). The biggest proportion of citizens – 99% is among new born because 82,3% of parents non-citizens  choose to register their children as citizens. 38,688 persons attended Latvian language courses during past 5 years. 77% of ethnic non-Latvians evaluate their state language proficiency level as good (compared to 49% in 1996.) There are 109 schools with bilingual education programme. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports that the Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma decided to communicate with representatives of local mass media in Latvian language only. According to a representative of the Prime Minister, such decision has been made due to insufficient Russian language proficiency. Up to this day, Mrs Straujuma did communicate with local Russian language mass media in Russian language. As reported, some other high state officials also refuse to communicate with journalists in Russian.

The Minister of Interior Rihards Kozlovskis will not attend the meeting of the Council of the European Union Justice and Home Affairs ministers because the governing coalition has not reached common agreement about accommodation of 526 asylum seekers additionally as proposed by the European Commission. Members of the political party Unity supported the Commission’s proposal. The National Union and the Union of Greens and Farmers objected to the proposal and called to make sure that Latvia is granted an exception due to large number of stateless persons (Latvian non-citizens) and to evaluate the security risks connected with influx of asylum seekers.  The Unity, in its turn, stressed that Latvia might stay in isolation due to its unwillingness to accept refugees. Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize reports about a public discussion between residents of one of the Latvian Eastern regions and the Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma on reduction of poverty and inequality in rural areas. Almost half of the discussion was dedicated to issues concerning accommodation of asylum seekers in Latvia. Residents expressed their concerns connected with religious affiliation of asylum seekers, size of their families, number of wives, threats to state language, culture and national security, and increase of unemployment. Mrs Straujuma said that Latvia should express its solidarity with the EU and accommodate asylum seekers. At the same time, she agreed that the amount of benefit paid to refugees is too high (256 EUR per month for one year) and should to recalculated. She also promised to amend the legal acts obliging all refugees to learn Latvian language. The Prime Minister also did not exclude that in future Latvia also might build a fence along its external border.

Diena interviews a Latvian resident of Syrian origin who has lived in Latvia for several years and became Latvian citizen through naturalisation process. According to him, refugees from Syria are seeking for a secure state where they would also have opportunities to find a job. He believes that the number of asylum seekers Latvia has to accommodate is too small to endanger the society by its cultural differences. He also stressed that special attention should be paid towards Latvian language courses for refugees as it is a key aspect for successful integration.