• Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte presented the draft National Identity and Society Integration Guidelines for 2012-2018
• Security Police (SP) will pay special attention to hate speech in mass media
• Diena prints an article by a Roma researcher about the obstacles to successful integration of Roma

Yesterday, the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte (Unity) presented the draft National Identity and Society Integration Guidelines for 2012-2018. According to the Minister, the aim of the Guidelines is a strong, united, national and democratic community which could be achieved by focusing on civil society and integration, national identity, and common social memory. The Guidelines foresee that the Latvian language, culture and national identity, European democratic values, and Latvia’s unique cultural space should become the unifying factors for the Latvian nation. The Guidelines divide Latvia’s inhabitants into those who have accepted ethnic Latvian values and identity, ethnic minorities and long-term immigrants. Non-citizens are included in the third category. The Guidelines stress the need for a common historical memory, and highlight that the majority of  residents who moved to Latvia during the Soviet times have “incorrect” historical memory due to their differing perception of soviet occupation period. The document also envisages the formation of a “team of historians” tasked with rapid response to “inappropriate interpretation” of the Latvian history. Daily

Yesterday, the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte (Unity) presented the draft National Identity and Society Integration Guidelines for 2012-2018. According to the Minister, the aim of the Guidelines is a strong, united, national and democratic community which could be achieved by focusing on civil society and integration, national identity, and common social memory. The Guidelines foresee that the Latvian language, culture and national identity, European democratic values, and Latvias unique cultural space should become the unifying factors for the Latvian nation. The Guidelines divide Latvias inhabitants into those who have accepted ethnic Latvian values and identity, ethnic minorities and long-term immigrants. Non-citizens are included in the third category. The Guidelines stress the need for a common historical memory, and highlight that the majority of residents who moved to Latvia during the Soviet times have incorrect historical memory due to their differing perception of soviet occupation period. The document also envisages the formation of a team of historians tasked with rapid response to inappropriate interpretation of the Latvian history. Daily Vesti Segodnya notes that the draft Guidelines were criticized by integration experts already in the early stages of their elaboration mostly for their assimilative tendencies. However, hardly any comments have been taken into consideration. The Ministry of Culture plans to hold public discussions about the draft Guidelines in different Latvias regions until the end of August. Discussions are to coincide with the pre-election campaign period to the parliamentary elections to be held on 17 September. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize, Chas

Latvijas Avize reports that the Security Police (SP) will pay special attention to the hate speech in mass media due to forthcoming parliamentary elections. The SP will monitor media content evaluating whether the publications incite ethnic hatred, hatred against social or religious groups, and whether mass media, especially the Internet, are being used for the expression of extremist opinions and calls for violence. According to the SP, criminal proceedings concerning the incitement to ethnic hatred have been initiated during 2011.

Diena prints an article by a psychologist and a Roma researcher Andris Tertats about the obstacles to the successful integration of Roma. According to A.Tertats, the overwhelming majority of Roma lives in poverty and has no social insurance. He believes that the state and municipalities should engage Roma in employment, e.g. providing at least 100 job vacancies for Roma in each city.

• Security Police initiated a criminal proceeding on incitement to ethnic hatred against the MP Janis Iesalnieks for his comment about the tragic events in Norway
• Newspapers reader about inscription Russians out! written on a building in the centre of a town

The Security Police initiated a criminal proceeding on incitement to ethnic hatred against the member of nationalists party All for Latvia!, MP Janis Iesalnieks for his comment about the tragic events in Norway on 22 July. As reported, Janis Iesalnieks in his Twitter forum stated that multiculturalists should feel guilty for the massacre because their policy of islamisation led to insanity of the attacker. The Iesalnieks statement caused a wave of criticism in the society and pushed him to leave the post of the partys board member and announce that he will not to stand for the up-coming Saeimas election. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Diena

Chas reports about a complaint of the newspapers reader about inscription Russians out! written on abandoned building in the centre of Skulte (small town near Riga). According to the complaint, the inscription was made in spring.

 

• Ombudsman Juris Jansons: Ombudsmans Office did enough to facilitate issues regarding non-citizens rights
• Minister of Culture presented the President of Latvia the draft program of national identity and integration
• Head of the Riga bureau of the IOM Ilmars Mezs: Latvia itself will invite immigrants by 2020
• Diena prints an article about the discourse of Russian language printed media

Telegraf prints an interview with the Ombudsman Juris Jansons. Replying to a question whether the Ombudsman will come with any initiatives following the opinion presented by the former Ombudsman Romans Apsitis on unjustified restrictions on the rights of non-citizens, Mr Jansons stated that the opinion was presented to the Saeima and the Cabinet of Ministers, however there are no further developments regarding the issues. Mr Jansons believes that the Ombudsmans Office did enough to facilitate these issues. As reported, in 2008, the Ombudsman Romans Apsitis published opinion on differences between rights of citizens and non-citizens concluding that some restrictions on non-citizens are not justified.

Yesterday, the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte presented the President of Latvia Andris Berzins the draft program of national identity and integration. The Minister and the President agreed that Latvian language has great importance for integration and the most effective integration process would be starting it in the pre-school years teaching small children Latvian language.

Yesterday, the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte presented the President of Latvia Andris Berzins the draft program of national identity and integration. The Minister and the President agreed that Latvian language has great importance for integration and the most effective integration process would be starting it in the pre-school years teaching small children Latvian language. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

Latvia itself will invite immigrants by 2020 due to shortage of labour force – believes the head of the Riga bureau of the International Migration Office (IOM) Ilmars Mezs. According to Mr Mezs immigration policy in Latvia and Estonia is the most severe comparing to the other EU countries. Mr Mezs also believes that it would be fair for Latvia to take part in the allocation of refugees arrived to Europe according to its economic opportunities.

Latvia itself will invite immigrants by 2020 due to shortage of labour force – believes the head of the Riga bureau of the International Migration Office (IOM) Ilmars Mezs. According to Mr Mezs immigration policy in Latvia and Estonia is the most severe comparing to the other EU countries. Mr Mezs also believes that it would be fair for Latvia to take part in the allocation of refugees arrived to Europe according to its economic opportunities. Vesti Segodnya

According to the acting Minister of Interior Aigars Stokenbergs, there is increase of display of radical opinions in the Russian language newspapers. However, media experts interviewed by Diena do not confirm such statement.  The experts consider that discourse of Russian language printed media differs from the discourse of Latvian language newspapers but it has not changed during past several years.

According to the acting Minister of Interior Aigars Stokenbergs, there is increase of display of radical opinions in the Russian language newspapers. However, media experts interviewed by Diena do not confirm such statement. The experts consider that discourse of Russian language printed media differs from the discourse of Latvian language newspapers but it has not changed during past several years. Diena

• Minister of Foreign Affairs Girts Valdis Kristovskis: electorate of the Concord Centre does not understand interests of the national state
• NGO Latgolys Saeima collects signatures in support of granting Latgalian language status of regional language

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Girts Valdis Kristovskis, the electorate of the Concord Centre does not understand interests of the national state and its advantages. Mr Kristovskis believes that documents on establishment of Latvian Republic and the Constitution show that Latvia is state of ethnic Latvian nation.

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Girts Valdis Kristovskis, the electorate of the Concord Centre does not understand interests of the national state and its advantages. Mr Kristovskis believes that documents on establishment of Latvian Republic and the Constitution show that Latvia is state of ethnic Latvian nation. Vesti Segodnya

An NGO “Latgolys Saeima” initiated a collection of signatures on the Internet in support of granting Latgalian language status of regional language in Latvia. According to the NGO, Latgalian language which is mother tongue for large part of the Latvian residents does not have any formal rights.

An NGO Latgolys Saeima initiated a collection of signatures on the Internet in support of granting Latgalian language status of regional language in Latvia. According to the NGO, Latgalian language which is mother tongue for large part of the Latvian residents does not have any formal rights. Chas

• Number of residents who renounced the status of Latvian non-citizen in favour of other countries citizenship decreases
• 62 third country nationals detained for illegal crossing of Latvian border

According to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA), this year, number of residents who renounced the status of Latvian non-citizen in favour of other countries’ citizenship decreased comparing with the 2010. During first six months of 2011, the OCMA reviewed 1,587 applications on renunciation of non-citizen’s status which is by 43% less than during the first half of 2010. The majority of non-citizens takes citizenship of Russia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and Germany, but remains to reside in Latvia permanently.

According to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA), this year, number of residents who renounced the status of Latvian non-citizen in favour of other countries citizenship decreased comparing with the 2010. During first six months of 2011, the OCMA reviewed 1,587 applications on renunciation of non-citizens status which is by 43% less than during the first half of 2010. The majority of non-citizens takes citizenship of Russia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus and Germany, but remains to reside in Latvia permanently. Vesti Segodnya

The State Border Guard Service detained 62 third country nationals for illegal crossing of Latvian border during the first six months of 2011. The majority of illegals – 26 persons – were citizens of Democratic Republic of Congo.

The State Border Guard Service detained 62 third country nationals for illegal crossing of Latvian border during the first six months of 2011. The majority of illegals – 26 persons – were citizens of Democratic Republic of Congo. Diena