• Chas features a comprehensive article on first non-citizens who travel within the EU without visa

Chas features a comprehensive story on first non-citizens who travel without visa within the EU on the basis of new EU regulations that grant the right to free movement within the EU also to Latvian non-citizens.

• Draft Framework Document on Labour Force Migration
• EPs regulation granting the right to free movement within the EU to Latvian non-citizens has entered into force
• Chas publishes an article byNils Usakovs,the head of the The Concord Centre
• Saeima refuses amendments to the Criminal Law proposed by the union For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM
• Article about the anti-Semitism in Europe

The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs has prepared and submitted for discussion to the ministries a new Framework Document on Labour Force Migration. The Framework Document stipulates a significant reduction of costs for attraction of foreign labour migrants from the third countries and easing bureaucratic procedures.

The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs has prepared and submitted for discussion to the ministries a new Framework Document on Labour Force Migration. The Framework Document stipulates a significant reduction of costs for attraction of foreign labour migrants from the third countries and easing bureaucratic procedures. Diena

Russian language newspapers report that the European Parliament’s regulation granting the right to free movement within the EU (with the exception of Ireland and Great Britain) to Latvian non-citizens has enetered into force today.

Russian language newspapers report that the European Parliaments regulation granting the right to free movement within the EU (with the exception of Ireland and Great Britain) to Latvian non-citizens has enetered into force today. Chas, Telegraf

Chas features an article by the head of the The Concord Centre Nils Usakovs believing that the creation of a united Latvian-Russian political party is the most efficient and pragmatic way for resolving Russian-speakers problems in Latvia.

Yesterday, Saeima has refused the amendments to the Criminal Law stipulating the criminal liability for the public denial or the call to public denial of the Latvia occupation fact. The amendments were prepared by the union For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM.

Yesterday, Saeima has refused the amendments to the Criminal Law stipulating the criminal liability for the public denial or the call to public denial of the Latvia occupation fact. The amendments were prepared by the union For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM. Latvijas Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Diena supplement Kulturas Diena prints a large analytic article by a representative of the Centre for Research on Anti-Semitism of the Technical University of Berlin Juliane Wetzel on anti-Semitism in Europe.

• Chas interviews the Head of the union For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM Roberts Zile
• Article on living conditions in the reception centre for asylum seekers Mucenieki

Chas features an interview with the head of the union For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM Roberts Zile emphasising the knowledge and respect towards the Latvian language and history as the core indicator of loyalty to the state and the precondition of shaping of a common mentality. When speaking about the partys draft law attempting to stop naturalization, Roberts Zile states that, if people with very different mentalities will live in Latvia, it could face problems that Great Britain has because of the presence of Muslim immigrants. The politician also criticizes the European Parliaments decision to grant the right to free movement within the EU to Latvian non-citizens: ‘if a person does not feel himself or herself belonging to any European state, he is disloyal to the whole Europe, adds Roberts Zile.

Chas features an article about the living conditions in the reception centre for asylum seekers Mucenieki. According to the newspaper, 8 persons have sought for asylum in Latvia during 2006. Four of them were from Russia, but others – from Afghanistan, Belorussia, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan.

• Naturalisation statistics
• NGOs calls to grant non-citizens voting rights in municipal elections
• Telegraf reports on Russias new repatriation programme

120,960 persons have been naturalised till the end of the last year and 13,193 minors have got Latvian citizenship along with their parents. In total, the Naturalization Board has received 121,723 naturalisation applications since the beginning of the naturalisation process in 1995.

120,960 persons have been naturalised till the end of the last year and 13,193 minors have got Latvian citizenship along with their parents. In total, the Naturalization Board has received 121,723 naturalisation applications since the beginning of the naturalisation process in 1995. Latvijas Avize

Last week two non-governmental organisations – the

Last week two non-governmental organisations – the Union of Citizens and Non-Citizens and the Humanitarian Perspective – have applied to the Saeima parliamentary groups calling them to support the draft law prepared by these organisations on the rights of non-citizens. The draft law stipulates granting voting rights to non-citizens in municipal elections. According to Chas, only For Human Rights in the United Latvia parliamentary group has responded the call of the organisations to submit amendments to the law on municipal elections to the Saeima Committee of State Administration and Local Governments. These amendments stipulate granting to non-citizens and foreigners permanently living in Latvia the right to vote in municipal elections. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Telegraf reports on Russias new programme supporting the repatriation of its compatriots. According to the information of the Representation of the Russian Federation Federal Migration Service in Latvia, approximately 300 persons living in Latvia have expressed a wish to repatriate to Russia.

• European Court of Human Rights has striken the application of the Sisojevs family out of the list of cases

Yesterday, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decided to strike the application of the former soviet militarist Arkadijs Sisojevs’ family out of its list of cases. The complainant believed that Latvia had violated the Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights by refusing to grant to them the status of permanent residents. The ECHR took the view that the problems that the applicants had experienced following the cancellation of their initial residence permits had stemmed to a large extent from their own actions. According to the Court, Sisojevs were informed that their conduct registering their residence in both Russia and Latvia without informing the relevant Latvian authorities was illegal. The former military of the Soviet army Arkadijs Sisojevs and his family arrived in Latvia in 1960ies and their two daughters were born in Latvia. After the re-established of Latvia’s independence, members of the Sisojevs family became stateless person and received the residence permit in Latvia. In 1995 the members of the Sisojev family were excluded form the permanent residents’ register when it became known that the complainants, who were using passports of the former USSR, had registered their residence also in Russia. The representative of the Latvian Government before International Human Rights Organisations Inga Reine believes that the Grand Chamber’s decision is very important since it reveals the shortcomings of the previous ECHR’s decision interfering into Latvia’s rights to decide on its residents’ status. Inga Reine has pointed to the fact that the state has explained to Sisojevs’ family how they could regularise their status already in 2003.

Yesterday, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decided to strike the application of the former soviet militarist Arkadijs Sisojevs family out of its list of cases. The complainant believed that Latvia had violated the Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights by refusing to grant to them the status of permanent residents. The ECHR took the view that the problems that the applicants had experienced following the cancellation of their initial residence permits had stemmed to a large extent from their own actions. According to the Court, Sisojevs were informed that their conduct registering their residence in both Russia and Latvia without informing the relevant Latvian authorities was illegal. The former military of the Soviet army Arkadijs Sisojevs and his family arrived in Latvia in 1960ies and their two daughters were born in Latvia. After the re-established of Latvias independence, members of the Sisojevs family became stateless person and received the residence permit in Latvia. In 1995 the members of the Sisojev family were excluded form the permanent residents register when it became known that the complainants, who were using passports of the former USSR, had registered their residence also in Russia. The representative of the Latvian Government before International Human Rights Organisations Inga Reine believes that the Grand Chambers decision is very important since it reveals the shortcomings of the previous ECHRs decision interfering into Latvias rights to decide on its residents status. Inga Reine has pointed to the fact that the state has explained to Sisojevs family how they could regularise their status already in 2003. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Chas, Telegraf