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.

• European Commission criticizes Latvia for incomplete transposition of the EU Racial Equality Directive
• Belorussian guest worker detained for an attack and robbery of a taxi-driver in Riga
• Latvijas Avize features an interview with the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins
• Latvian Antifascist Committee and Estonian NGO Night Watch have agreed on co-operation

Telegraf reports that the European Commission (EC) has reminded Latvia about the need to fully transpose norms of the EU Racial Equality Directive into the national legal acts. According to the EC, ethnicity is not mentioned among various kinds of discrimination grounds prohibited by the Latvian Social Insurance Law. However, the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration in a reply to the EC, which was approved by the government yesterday, has stated that the Law stipulates prohibition not only of specific grounds of discrimination (such as gender, age, health) but also discrimination based on other not mentioned grounds.

Newspapers report that a Belorussian guest worker was detained for an attack and robbery of a taxi-driver in Riga.

Newspapers report that a Belorussian guest worker was detained for an attack and robbery of a taxi-driver in Riga. Chas claims that due to the luck of effective national policy concerning foreign labour force in Latvia, influx of guest workers is not controlled enough. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins (For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM). As reported, the Minister proposes to merge the Naturalisation Board and the State Language Centre into one institution. Gaidis Berzins considers that merger of two institutions would help to save resources and to make their work for effective. The Minister believes that new institution has to put its accent on state language because state language and citizenship are inseparable issues.

Latvijas Avize reports that members of the Latvian Antifascist Committee and Estonian NGO Night Watch have agreed on co-operation. According to a representative of Night Watch, both organisations are planning to hold various activities and events against expansion of neo-Nazi and Russophobic ideology in Latvia and Estonia.