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.

• Head of the Saeimas Citizenship Implementation Committee Peteris Tabuns considers that naturalisation test on Latvian language proficiency should be more severe
• Police detained a Latvian citizen and two persons of Arab origin for illegal border crossing
• Ministry on Children, Family and Society Integration Affairs works on improvement of the draft guidelines for society integration
• Chas reports about another statement by a national radical Aivars Garda

The Head of the Saeima’s Citizenship Implementation Committee Peteris Tabuns (FF/LNIM) considers that naturalisation test on Latvian language proficiency should be more severe. The MP states: “if we want to live in ethnic Latvian Latvia we should discuss the option to make language requirements more severe.”

The Head of the Saeimas Citizenship Implementation Committee Peteris Tabuns (FF/LNIM) considers that naturalisation test on Latvian language proficiency should be more severe. The MP states: if we want to live in ethnic Latvian Latvia we should discuss the option to make language requirements more severe. Vesti Segodnya

Yesterday, the police have detained a car carrying a Latvian citizen and two persons allegedly of Arab origin without personal identification documents. According to a representative of the State Border Guard Service, the car illegally crossed Latvian border.

Yesterday, the police have detained a car carrying a Latvian citizen and two persons allegedly of Arab origin without personal identification documents. According to a representative of the State Border Guard Service, the car illegally crossed Latvian border. Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize reports that the Ministry on Children, Family and Society Integration Affairs delays introduction to the government of the new draft guidelines for society integration elaborated by the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration in the end of 2008 because the draft should be improved. According to the State Secretary of the Ministry Iveta Zalpetere, after revision of the document at the meeting of state secretaries, the document should be discussed at one more public discussion. Mrs. Zalpetere considers that the number of experts and organisations that participated in discussions held by the Integration Secretariat was too small.

Chas reports about 2009 calendar issued by radical newspaper DDD. Its editor and a national radical Aivars Garda states in a text to the calendar: soviet occupation and annexation brought colonists like a terrible disease to Latvia and they incite to ethnic hatred by showing their Great Russian chauvinism and fascism every day before rightful Latvian citizens. Aivars Garda also calls the Saeima and the government to expel colonists-oppressors out of Latvia. Chas notes that such statement will hardly be noticed by the Prosecutors Office as the court recently justified Garda and his journalists, who were accused of incitement to ethnic hatred.