Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

Press Review

 

The open letter by the officials of the Dpt. of Citizenship and Immigration states that there are contradictions between the laws in force and court decrees on complaints submitted by individuals. In this connection it is suggested in the letter to create a commission to objectively evaluate the activities of the Dpt. and to adopt ammendments in the existing laws that would " exclude the possibilty of interpretation of laws in favour of foreigners." Vakara Zinas

The Democratic Party has announced that it would support the Latvijas Cels draft Citizenship Law. Previously it has been supporting the LNNK draft, still after the Saema has approved of the LC draft in its first reading the DP had to choose between voting against the LC draft and suggesting its own ammendments to it. The party has decided upon the latter. It has already made certain recommendations mostly of a technical nature. One of the recommendations lies outside technical framework and suggests that the quota principle should be replaced by the introduction of "priority groups" which will give the persons that "have the closest links with Latvia" the opportunity to be the first ones to receive citizenship. It was also suggested to build the rerstrictions regarding the annual number of persons naturalized into the law without linking such number to the birth rate among citizens during previous year. Labrit

On Feb.2 the US Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a report on the international human rights situation. The report does not mention any violations of human rights of the Russian-speaking minority and reminds of the fact that Latvia has been extensively russified during Soviet rule. The report sais that there are certain problems in connection with the ethnic minorities and citizenship issue. The report also mentions the unsatisfactory conditions in Latvian prisons.