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 Report

Press Report

Yesterday the

Yesterday the Saeima adopted the first reading of the amendment to the Law on the Ratification of the Geneva Refugee Convention. The amendment provides for applying the refugee status to all refugees and not only to those entering Latvia from European countries. If the amendment is passed in its final (second) reading on 25 September, Sweden and Finland will finally agree to establish a non-visa regime with Latvia. "Tevzemei un Brivibai"/LNNK and "Latvijai" deputies as well as several independent deputies voted against the amendment. Their main argument was the weakness of Latvia's Eastern borders. Diena

Latvia has acceded to the Council of Europe Convention on Humiliation and Torture and to its two protocols. The Convention provides for the forming of an international committee that would, among other tasks, inspect penitentiaries on the territories of the countries that acceded to the Convention.

Latvia has acceded to the Council of Europe Convention on Humiliation and Torture and to its two protocols. The Convention provides for the forming of an international committee that would, among other tasks, inspect penitentiaries on the territories of the countries that acceded to the Convention. SM

Leaders of several Estonian political parties support the idea of granting citizenship to elderly non-citizens (over 60 years of age) and to non-citizens' children born after 1991. Such a noticeable change in Estonian domestic policy could be explained by the peculiar situation when 127,000 inhabitants of the country have Russian citizenship, 300,000 are stateless and several thousand have citizenship of countries other than Estonia while the entire population is 1,462,000. Every eleventh inhabitant of Estonia currently is a Russian citizen while each fourth is stateless.

Leaders of several Estonian political parties support the idea of granting citizenship to elderly non-citizens (over 60 years of age) and to non-citizens' children born after 1991. Such a noticeable change in Estonian domestic policy could be explained by the peculiar situation when 127,000 inhabitants of the country have Russian citizenship, 300,000 are stateless and several thousand have citizenship of countries other than Estonia while the entire population is 1,462,000. Every eleventh inhabitant of Estonia currently is a Russian citizen while each fourth is stateless.