• Media reports about housing problems refugees face in Latvia
• Draft governing coalition’s declaration contains commitment to transfer education in all state funded schools solely into Latvian language

The media report about housing problems that refugees face in Latvia. According to the legal provisions, as soon as asylum seekers are granted international protection in Latvia, they should leave the accommodation centre and find a place to live. Adults with the refugee or alternative status receive EUR 139 per month (minors - EUR 97). These persons also have the right to social assistance provided by municipalities. However, in order to receive a benefit, a person should declare his/her place of residence. According to an experiment, conducted by journalists, the owners refuse to rent their apartments as soon as they hear that a person wishing to rent is a refugee. According to a representative of an NGO “Shelter. Safe House”, the situation with regard to housing of refugees is dramatic; as they are not able to find apartments, they most likely would need to go to shelters. Lsm.lv

Vesti Segodnya reports that the draft governing coalition’s declaration contains a commitment to elaborate a plan for transition of education in all state funded schools solely into Latvian language and start its implementation. The media also report that Karlis Sadurskis is a candidate for the post of the Minister of Education. Mr Sadurskis occupied this post in 2002-2004; he actively worked on elaboration and implementation of minority education reform, which caused large-scale public protests. Lsm.lv 

• Company MTG TV Latvia decided to close its Russian language TV channel

The company MTG TV Latvia decided to close its Russian language channel TV5 broadcasted in Latvia due to financial reasons. According to the company’s representative, TV5 is one of the few local TV channels with Russian language content. However, due to the large amount of re-broadcasted Russia’s TV channels and the high cost of production of local content, the channel has financial losses. The former head of the Council on Electronic Mass Media Ainars Dimants said that the closure of TV5 proves that there is a necessity to establish a public Russian language TV channel.  Mr Dimants believes that it is necessary to develop local TV content in Russian for Russian speaking residents thus encouraging them to use Latvian informative space. News agency LETA, diena.lv

• Head of the State Police Ints Kuzis: domestic violence threatens security much more than asylum seekers
• Afro-American Latvian resident: due to the refuge crisis attitude towards dark-skinned people in Latvia has worsened

The Head of the State Police Ints Kuzis presenting data on criminal tendencies during 2015 emphasized that domestic violence threatens security much more than asylum seekers. Mr Kuzis pointed to a need to pay more attention to domestic violence and introduce more effective measures against it. He also believes that Latvian residents should not worry in advance that arrival of asylum seekers would bring violence or mass disorders; the police should explain it to the society.  News agency LETA

Neatkariga interviews George Steel, an Afro-American who lives in Latvia since 1994. According to him, due to the refugee crisis the attitude towards dark-skinned people in Latvia has worsened during the last six months. He says that about a couple months ago, an unknown man came up to his 12 year old daughter on the street and asked her in aggressive way whether she is a refugee. He also says that at least once a week he personally faces racism in a similar way. Mr Steel says: “People consider me a stranger because of my skin colour. People don’t want to see more – that I have a family, children and speak Latvian language. They don’t see me as a person, but see only skin colour.” 

• UN reviewed human rights situation in Latvia

On 26 January, the UN Working Group on Universal Periodic Review (UPR) reviewed human rights situation in Latvia. In the framework of the session, Latvian government’s delegation pointed to Latvia’s achievements and developments regarding various human rights issues. The recommending states acknowledged the progress made by Latvia and highlighted, inter alia, the following developments: the Citizenship law amendments resulting in increasing number of non-citizens’ children registered as Latvian citizens; the progress on gender equality; reduced numbers of prisoners. The states have also made recommendations for improvement of the human rights situation. The largest number of states recommended Latvia to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT). Other recommendations concerned promotion of naturalisation process with an objective to decrease the number of non-citizens; facilitation of integration and ensuring protection of the rights of national minorities, including Roma; promotion of tolerance towards various minority groups, including asylum seekers and Muslims. Several recommendations concerned the LGBT persons’ rights, such as explicit criminalisation of crimes committed on the grounds of sexual orientation. Latvia was recommended to take further steps to strengthen measures against domestic violence and ensuring gender equality. Some states also addressed integration and the rights of asylum seekers and refugees.

All the documents related to the Latvia’s UPR 2nd cycle are available:

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/LVSession24.aspx 

http://www.upr-info.org/en/review/Latvia/Session-24---January-2016/National-report#top

• Latvia granted asylum to 29 persons in 2015

According to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA), 6 persons were granted refugee and 23 - alternative status in Latvia in 2015. The OCMA received totally 328 asylum applications last year. In 2014, there were 364 asylum applications; 3 persons received refugee status and 21 - alternative status. The OCMA does not provide data about the countries of origin of persons receiving asylum in Latvia allegedly due to legal provisions on confidentiality of such information. News agency LETA