• FHRUL called upon the government and the Prime Minister of Latvia Aigars Kalvitis to reject a proposal to merge the Naturalisation Bard and the State Language Centre into one institution
• Chas features an interview with the MP, head of the Sub-Committee on Rights of Minorities of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Boriss Cilevics
• Ministry of Welfare has prepared a draft law which stipulates cancelling of working permits in Latvia for a part guest workers

The Saeima’s faction For Human Rights in United Latvia (FHRUL) called upon the government and the Prime Minister of Latvia Aigars Kalvitis to reject a proposal of the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins to merge the Naturalisation Bard and the State Language Centre into one institution. The FHRUL considers that such initiative would hinder naturalisation even more. The FHRUL also has asked the Prime Minister to withdraw the Naturalisation Board from subordination of the Ministry of Justice and to put it under subordination of the Ministry of Interior.

The Saeimas faction For Human Rights in United Latvia (FHRUL) called upon the government and the Prime Minister of Latvia Aigars Kalvitis to reject a proposal of the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins to merge the Naturalisation Bard and the State Language Centre into one institution. The FHRUL considers that such initiative would hinder naturalisation even more. The FHRUL also has asked the Prime Minister to withdraw the Naturalisation Board from subordination of the Ministry of Justice and to put it under subordination of the Ministry of Interior. Chas

Chas features an interview with the MP, head of the Sub-Committee on Rights of Minorities of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Boriss Cilevics (the Concord Centre). According to Mr. Cilevics, making the Citizenship Law more liberal, for instance, granting Latvian citizenship to all persons who were born in Latvia is the only way to increase naturalisation rate. Boriss Cilevics also considers that Latvia is multicultural country rather than two-community country as some political forces declare.

The Ministry of Welfare has prepared a draft law which stipulates cancellation of work permits in Latvia for guest workers who have already received work permits in other EU member states.

The Ministry of Welfare has prepared a draft law which stipulates cancellation of work permits in Latvia for guest workers who have already received work permits in other EU member states. Telegraf

• Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins informed about the plans to restructure and merge the Naturalisation Board with the State Language Centre
• Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration is planning to launch in the end of August discussions on new national integration conception for the time period 2008-2018
• Ministry of Justice prepared draft amendments to the Administrative Violations Code stipulating new fines for insufficient usage of state language

Yesterday, the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins (For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM) informed about plans to restructure and merge the Naturalisation Board (NB) with the State Language Centre (SLC). According to Gaidis Berzins, merging of two institutions is necessary due to the decreasing speed of naturalisation and increasing activities of the SLC. Therefore, the Minister believed that formation of one strong establishment would improve capacity of both institutions.  New institution might be named the Board of State Language and Citizenship Affairs and might launch its work in 2009. However, in an interview with

Yesterday, the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins (For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM) informed about plans to restructure and merge the Naturalisation Board (NB) with the State Language Centre (SLC). According to Gaidis Berzins, merging of two institutions is necessary due to the decreasing speed of naturalisation and increasing activities of the SLC. Therefore, the Minister believed that formation of one strong establishment would improve capacity of both institutions. New institution might be named the Board of State Language and Citizenship Affairs and might launch its work in 2009. However, in an interview with Vesti Segodnya, the MP Janis Urbanovics (the Concord Centre) has stated that merging of the NB and the SLC would hinder the naturalisation process. Vesti Segodnya

The Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration in the end of August is planning to launch discussions on new national integration concept for the time period 2008-2018.

The Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration in the end of August is planning to launch discussions on new national integration concept for the time period 2008-2018. Chas prints an opinion of the MPs Jakovs Pliners and Valerijs Buhvalovs (For Human Rights in United Latvia) on what must be included into the draft concept. According to the MPs, establishment of civil society has to be the core aim of the concept. The MPs consider that in order to establish trust within Latvian society, the following measures have to be implemented: grant non-citizens voting rights in municipal elections; establish consultative councils of NGOs which would be involved in governmental and municipal decision making; consultations with representatives of oppositional political parties.

Telegraf reports that the Ministry of Justice prepared draft amendments to the Administrative Violations Code stipulating new fines for insufficient usage of state language.

• Governing coalition has conceptually supported a proposal to allow double citizenship
• Latvijas Avize reports on a meeting of the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers and head of the State Language Commission
• Diena prints an interview with Juris Jaunzems, director of an enterprise which employs several guest workers

Yesterday, the governing coalition has conceptually supported a proposal to allow double citizenship. According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Artis Pabriks, the amendments to the Citizenship Law must stipulate opportunity to register children of Latvian citizens who were born abroad as Latvian citizens in cases when they already were granted or are planning to take citizenship of their residency state. The governing coalition also has decided to form a working group which will prepare the draft amendments.

Yesterday, the governing coalition has conceptually supported a proposal to allow double citizenship. According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Artis Pabriks, the amendments to the Citizenship Law must stipulate opportunity to register children of Latvian citizens who were born abroad as Latvian citizens in cases when they already were granted or are planning to take citizenship of their residency state. The governing coalition also has decided to form a working group which will prepare the draft amendments. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Diena, NRA, Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize reports on a meeting of the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers and head of the State Language Commission Andrejs Veisbergs. The President believes that the Commission has to be more active in popularisation of state language among non-Latvians. According to Andrejs Veisbergs, next year, the Commission is planning to conduct a study on changes in Latvian language proficiency and in the attitude of students of Russian-language schools towards Latvian language after implementation of education reform.

Diena prints an interview with Juris Jaunzems, director of an enterprise which employs five guest workers from Mongolia and four from Ukraine. According to Mr. Jaunzems, the guest workers do not have problems in communication with local people and all of them are willing to learn Latvian language. Juris Jaunzems believes that influx of guest workers to Latvia will continue to grow due to the lack of domestic labour force. Mr. Jaunzems also believes the procedure to invite foreign workers is too complicated.

• Latvijas Avize prints various opinions on a proposal of Latvias First Party to grant non-citizens voting rights in municipal elections
• Nedela prints MPs opinions on a proposal to allow double citizenship for children of Latvian citizens who were born abroad

Latvijas Avize prints various opinions on a proposal of Latvias First Party to grant non-citizens voting rights in municipal elections. Ex-Judge of the Constitutional Court, MP Ilma Cepane believes that this proposal is politically motivated because according to international documents and experience of other countries, the lack of voting rights for non-citizens is not a violation of human rights. Head of the Human Rights Institute of the University of Latvia Arturs Kucs considers that granting voting rights to non-citizens would promote their involvement into political and social life. According to the ex-Chairman of the Constitutional Court Aivars Endzins, if non-citizens were granted voting rights they would lose reasons to naturalise.

Weekly magazine

Weekly magazine Nedela prints MPs opinions on whether they support a proposal to allow double citizenship for children of Latvian citizens who were born abroad. Most of the interviewed MPs support the proposal because it would help to keep connection with Latvians who reside abroad. Karina Petersone (Latvias Way) also supports the proposal and believes that this proposal has to be included into the governmental declaration. Karina Petersone also proposes to allow double citizenship for foreign spouses of Latvian citizens if s/he is citizen of the EU.

• Russian MP Aleksey Mitrofanov is planning to submit to the Russias Parliament a proposal to cancel visa requirement to Russia for Latvian non-citizens
• 190 persons were fined for insufficient state language proficiency at work in the first half of 2007

Russian MP Aleksey Mitrofanov in an interview with

Russian MP Aleksey Mitrofanov in an interview with Vesti Segodnya has stated that he is planning to submit to the Russias Parliament a proposal to cancel visa requirement to Russia for Latvian non-citizens.

The State Language Centre has fined 190 persons for insufficient state language proficiency at work in the first half of 2007. Inspectors of the Centre also revealed 158 forged certificates of state language proficiency.

The State Language Centre has fined 190 persons for insufficient state language proficiency at work in the first half of 2007. Inspectors of the Centre also revealed 158 forged certificates of state language proficiency. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize, NRA