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.

• Article about the forum ‘Freedom vs Security: How to Respond to Threats in a Democrat Way?
• MP Aleksandrs Kirsteins talks about naturalisation and societal integration in Latvia
• In September there will be 100,000 people who have acquired Latvian citizenship through naturalisation

Vesti Segodnya reports on the forum ‘Freedom vs Security: How to Respond to Threats in a Democratic Way? organised by the Public Policy Centre Providus. The main topics of the forum were freedom of speech in Latvia, practices implemented by state institutions to deal with manifestations of intolerance and the level of intolerance in the Latvian society. The leader of the Afro-Latvian Association Christopher Ejugbo refereed to his personal experience and stressed that the situation is very serious as on many occasions attacks on black skinned personas are made by members of organised skinhead groups who wear the uniforms with reported that within last years in total 13 criminal cases has been initiated on the basis of the Paragraph 78 (incitement to ethnic hatred) of the Criminal Law during, five of them were forwarded to the prosecutors office to start criminal prosecution. The author of the article Nikolajs Kabanovs reproaches the organisers of the forum for not including problems of the largest minority in Latvia – Russian-speakers in the agenda.

Latvijas Avize prints an article by the MP Aleksandrs Kirsteins about naturalisation and societal integration in Latvia. The MP believes that the protest actions against the minority education reform as well as the ‘activities of the occupants during the protest meeting near the Monument of Freedom have ruined any illusions regarding the possibility to successfully integrate the ‘former citizens of USSR into the Latvian society. According to Kirsteins, the best solution is a step-by-step repatriation of the former USSR citizens and halting of naturalisation.

According to the information of the Naturalisation Board, in September there will 100,000 citizens who have acquired Latvian citizenship through naturalisation.

According to the information of the Naturalisation Board, in September there will 100,000 citizens who have acquired Latvian citizenship through naturalisation. Neatkariga Rita Avize