• Draft Asylum law adopted in the second reading
• Social Democratic party joins Concord centre

Yesterday, the Saeima adopted draft Asylum law in the second reading.

Yesterday, the Saeima adopted draft Asylum law in the second reading. Telegraf is concerned about the term temporary protection, claiming that eventually, it would allow the EU Council of Ministers to redistribute to Latvia some of the immigrants arriving in other EU countries (such as Greece).

Yesterday, Social Democratic Party joined the political alliance Concord centre. The Chair of the Concord centre Nils Usakovs stated that now Latvia has the first interethnic political party.

Yesterday, Social Democratic Party joined the political alliance Concord centre. The Chair of the Concord centre Nils Usakovs stated that now Latvia has the first interethnic political party. Vesti Segodnya

• Head of the Saeimas Citizenship Implementation Committee Peteris Tabuns considers that naturalisation test on Latvian language proficiency should be more severe
• Police detained a Latvian citizen and two persons of Arab origin for illegal border crossing
• Ministry on Children, Family and Society Integration Affairs works on improvement of the draft guidelines for society integration
• Chas reports about another statement by a national radical Aivars Garda

The Head of the Saeima’s Citizenship Implementation Committee Peteris Tabuns (FF/LNIM) considers that naturalisation test on Latvian language proficiency should be more severe. The MP states: “if we want to live in ethnic Latvian Latvia we should discuss the option to make language requirements more severe.”

The Head of the Saeimas Citizenship Implementation Committee Peteris Tabuns (FF/LNIM) considers that naturalisation test on Latvian language proficiency should be more severe. The MP states: if we want to live in ethnic Latvian Latvia we should discuss the option to make language requirements more severe. Vesti Segodnya

Yesterday, the police have detained a car carrying a Latvian citizen and two persons allegedly of Arab origin without personal identification documents. According to a representative of the State Border Guard Service, the car illegally crossed Latvian border.

Yesterday, the police have detained a car carrying a Latvian citizen and two persons allegedly of Arab origin without personal identification documents. According to a representative of the State Border Guard Service, the car illegally crossed Latvian border. Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize reports that the Ministry on Children, Family and Society Integration Affairs delays introduction to the government of the new draft guidelines for society integration elaborated by the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration in the end of 2008 because the draft should be improved. According to the State Secretary of the Ministry Iveta Zalpetere, after revision of the document at the meeting of state secretaries, the document should be discussed at one more public discussion. Mrs. Zalpetere considers that the number of experts and organisations that participated in discussions held by the Integration Secretariat was too small.

Chas reports about 2009 calendar issued by radical newspaper DDD. Its editor and a national radical Aivars Garda states in a text to the calendar: soviet occupation and annexation brought colonists like a terrible disease to Latvia and they incite to ethnic hatred by showing their Great Russian chauvinism and fascism every day before rightful Latvian citizens. Aivars Garda also calls the Saeima and the government to expel colonists-oppressors out of Latvia. Chas notes that such statement will hardly be noticed by the Prosecutors Office as the court recently justified Garda and his journalists, who were accused of incitement to ethnic hatred.

• 51 persons asked for asylum in Latvia in 2008

According to the Citizenship and Migration Affairs Office, 51 persons asked for asylum in Latvia in 2008. However, only two persons were granted asylum and one was granted alternative status in Latvia. The largest number of asylum seekers was from Georgia – 17 persons, Afghanistan – 10 and Russia -5. In total, since the asylum granting procedure was launched in Latvia in 1998, 254 persons appealed for asylum but only 17 received the status.

According to the Citizenship and Migration Affairs Office, 51 persons asked for asylum in Latvia in 2008. However, only two persons were granted asylum and one was granted alternative status in Latvia. The largest number of asylum seekers was from Georgia – 17 persons, Afghanistan – 10 and Russia -5. In total, since the asylum granting procedure was launched in Latvia in 1998, 254 persons appealed for asylum but only 17 received the status. Vesti Segodnya

• Head of the governmental commission on calculation of loss and damages inflicted by the USSR occupation Edmunds Stankevics: decolonisation would be a logical process
• Russian NGOs are preparing for celebration of 65th anniversary of liberation of Latvia from Fascism

Vesti Segodnya reports that head of the governmental commission on calculation of loss and damages inflicted by the USSR occupation Edmunds Stankevics in an interview with national radical newspaper DDD has stated that the commission will probably present results of its work in 2010. According to Mr. Stankevics, Soviet-era migrants and their descendants also inflicted damage to Latvia and, therefore, decolonisation would be a logical process.

Latvijas Avize reports that several Russian NGOs are preparing for celebration of 65th anniversary of liberation of Latvia from Fascism. Conferences and various commemorative events are being planned for 2008 and 2009. The newspaper alleges that some NGOs organising the events are disloyal towards Latvia and that they are propagating a false view of history hostile to Latvia.

• Public opinion survey: neither of the governing coalitions parties would get into the Saeima if the elections were held in January
• www.latvia.lv: most of Latvias Russians arrived as a result of the Soviet occupation, many of them take a different view regarding the countrys future and do not wish to recognise Latvian as the countrys sole official language
• National-radical Ivo Rubins: non-citizens should be repatriated

According to the latest public opinion survey held by the market and social research company “Latvijas fakti”, neither of the governing coalition’s parties would get into the Saeima if the elections were held in January. Only opposition parties would be able to overcome the 5% threshold: 9% of Latvian citizens would vote for the Concord Centre and 5,1% - for the New Era. 17,8% of respondents would not participate in the elections. Also, according to public opinion survey, 64,3% of Latvian citizens would vote for dissolution of the Saeima if the issue was put on a referendum.

According to the latest public opinion survey held by the market and social research company Latvijas fakti, neither of the governing coalitions parties would get into the Saeima if the elections were held in January. Only opposition parties would be able to overcome the 5% threshold: 9% of Latvian citizens would vote for the Concord Centre and 5,1% - for the New Era. 17,8% of respondents would not participate in the elections. Also, according to public opinion survey, 64,3% of Latvian citizens would vote for dissolution of the Saeima if the issue was put on a referendum. Telegraf, Diena

Vesti Segodnya reports that English version of internet site www.latvia.lv administrated by the Institute of Latvia contains a section on ethnic minorities in Latvia according to which most of Latvias Russian population consists of immigrants who arrived recently as a result of the Soviet occupation, and unfortunately, many of them take a different view regarding the countrys future and do not wish to recognise Latvian as the countrys sole official language.

Vesti Segodnya reports that ethnic Latvian national-radical Ivo Rubins in his article, published on nationalistic internet site www.nacionalisti.lv, states that non-citizens residing in Latvia are not loyal towards the state and, therefore, should be repatriated. Ivo Rubins considers non-citizens as colonists and states that ethnic Latvians should not tolerate these people in their country.