• Latvian national report for UN UPR: number of non-citizens in Latvia has decreased 2,3 times during past 20 years
• Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma decided to communicate with local mass media in Latvian language only
• Governing coalition has not reached common agreement about accommodation of additional number of asylum seekers
• Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma: benefits for refugees should be recalculated
• Diena interviews a Latvian citizen of Syrian origin

According to the Latvian national report on human rights situation in Latvia prepared for the UN Universal Periodic Review, the number of non-citizens in Latvia has decreased 2,3 times during past 20 years – from 730,000 down to 262,622 (or from 29% to 12,2% of the total population). The biggest proportion of citizens – 99% is among new born because 82,3% of parents non-citizens  choose to register their children as citizens. 38,688 persons attended Latvian language courses during past 5 years. 77% of ethnic non-Latvians evaluate their state language proficiency level as good (compared to 49% in 1996.) There are 109 schools with bilingual education programme. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports that the Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma decided to communicate with representatives of local mass media in Latvian language only. According to a representative of the Prime Minister, such decision has been made due to insufficient Russian language proficiency. Up to this day, Mrs Straujuma did communicate with local Russian language mass media in Russian language. As reported, some other high state officials also refuse to communicate with journalists in Russian.

The Minister of Interior Rihards Kozlovskis will not attend the meeting of the Council of the European Union Justice and Home Affairs ministers because the governing coalition has not reached common agreement about accommodation of 526 asylum seekers additionally as proposed by the European Commission. Members of the political party Unity supported the Commission’s proposal. The National Union and the Union of Greens and Farmers objected to the proposal and called to make sure that Latvia is granted an exception due to large number of stateless persons (Latvian non-citizens) and to evaluate the security risks connected with influx of asylum seekers.  The Unity, in its turn, stressed that Latvia might stay in isolation due to its unwillingness to accept refugees. Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize reports about a public discussion between residents of one of the Latvian Eastern regions and the Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma on reduction of poverty and inequality in rural areas. Almost half of the discussion was dedicated to issues concerning accommodation of asylum seekers in Latvia. Residents expressed their concerns connected with religious affiliation of asylum seekers, size of their families, number of wives, threats to state language, culture and national security, and increase of unemployment. Mrs Straujuma said that Latvia should express its solidarity with the EU and accommodate asylum seekers. At the same time, she agreed that the amount of benefit paid to refugees is too high (256 EUR per month for one year) and should to recalculated. She also promised to amend the legal acts obliging all refugees to learn Latvian language. The Prime Minister also did not exclude that in future Latvia also might build a fence along its external border.

Diena interviews a Latvian resident of Syrian origin who has lived in Latvia for several years and became Latvian citizen through naturalisation process. According to him, refugees from Syria are seeking for a secure state where they would also have opportunities to find a job. He believes that the number of asylum seekers Latvia has to accommodate is too small to endanger the society by its cultural differences. He also stressed that special attention should be paid towards Latvian language courses for refugees as it is a key aspect for successful integration. 

• Latvian entrepreneur establish a Facebook group “Want to help refugees”

Weekly Ir reports about a Latvian entrepreneur who decided to establish a Facebook group “Want to help refugees” for Latvian residents. The aim of the group is to gather people who are ready to help asylum seekers who will be accommodated inLatvia and ideas for different support actions. Up to now, the group has more than 900 members. 

• Latvia will have to accommodate additionally 526 asylum seekers
• Majority of Latvian residents support accommodation of war refugees in Latvia

Yesterday, the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker announced the plan on redistribution of asylum seekers across the EU member states. According to the proposal,Latviawill have to accommodate 526 asylum seekers within next two years in addition to 250 persons it already agreed to accept. Latvijas Avize, Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Neatkariga

According to an opinion survey conducted by a company SDKS, 71,7% of Latvian residents support accommodation of war refugees in Latvia, while 21% do not support it. 37,5% of respondents also support accommodation of persons persecuted due political views or religious belief, while 49,2% do not support it. Also the majority or 65% of residents do not support accommodation of person who fled their countries due to economical reasons, while 25,5% support it. Latvijas Avize

• State Language Centre made a verbal warning to the Museum of Liepaja for exhibition’s title „мāксла" written using a mixture of Russian and Latvian letters
• Cabinet of Ministers considered an informative report about introduction of voluntary assistants of the State Language Centre

The State Language Centre (SLC) made a verbal warning to the Museumof Liepaja(city in the Western part of Latvia) for exhibition’s title written using a mixture of Russian and Latvian letters.  According to the exhibition’s author, the title is a part of the creative exhibition and cannot be changed. The author explains that by such title one Latvian word contains Latvian and Russian letters – he reflects the situation in Latvian society and speaks about important issues of integration and multiculturalism. Representatives of the museum also criticize the SLC actions saying that it is attempt to restrict how artists should speak and is similar to censorship. The SLC closed the administrative violation case and made a verbal reprimand to the Museum as it agreed to add a footnote to the title writing it in correct Latvian language on a poster advertising the exhibition. Irir.lv

Yesterday, the Cabinet of Ministers considered an informative report about introduction of voluntary assistants of the State Language Centre prepared by the Ministry of Justice. As reported, it is planned that the voluntary assistants would help the SLC to identify violations of the State Language Law in marking the goods and distribution of public information and to provide assistance in prevention of such violations. Introduction of voluntary assistants requires additional funding for the SLC and staff positions. The Cabinet of Ministers approved the report.  Vesti Segodnya

 

• Advisor to  the Minister of Foreign Affairs Viktors Makarovs: naturalisationis a compromise for solving the problem of non-citizenship
• Eizenija Aldermane: level of state language proficiency is not the main criteria showing how well the person is integrated
• State Chancellery prepared informative material for Latvian residents about asylum seekers and refugees

Viktors Makarovs, advisor to  the Minister of Foreign Affairs in an interview with Vesti Segodnya said that he would like to seeLatvia as a state where the phenomenon  of non-citizenship does not exist anymore. As there are different opinions in the society how to solve this problem from  those who want to grant Latvian citizenship automatically to all by ending to  those totally against granting citizenship to non-citizens, naturalisation is a compromise, believes V. Makarovs.

Eizenija Aldermane, head of the Education, Culture and Sports Committee of the Riga City Council criticizes the approach  that the level of state language proficiency usually is the main criteria for the society defining how well the person is integrated. She says that there are at least several criteria of integration and the language being only of them. Ms Aldermane gives cites other countries with  integration centres where immigrants can learn history of the country, its traditions, basic values,etc. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports that the State Chancellery has prepared an informative material for Latvian residents about asylum seekers and refugees. The material explains  who the asylum seekers and refugees are, their  rights and responsibilities. It also explains the procedure of granting asylum  and provides statistics about asylum seekers and those granted international protection inLatvia. Materials in Latvian are available at: http://www.mk.gov.lv/lv/content/infografikas-par-patveruma-mekletajiem