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.

• “Unity” accuses the Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs of speaking Russian language
• “Concord Centre” MPs propose measures to ease the problem of non-citizenship 

During the celebrations of the first day of the new academic year (“The Day of Knowledge”) held on 3 September this year, the Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs attended a Russian minority school and addressed the pupils, parents and teachers in Russian language. The Chairman of the “Unity” faction in the Riga City Council Olafs Pulks complained to the State Language Centre and to the Minister for the Environmental Protection and Regional Development Edmunds Sprudzs about the incident. According to Mr.Pulks, this fact shows that Mr.Usakovs does not deserve the position of the Mayor of Riga, because such behaviour presents a bad example for the younger generation. Chas, Vesti Segodnya  

Yesterday, members of the “Concord Centre” (CC) in the Saeima (Parliament) adopted a statement on the non-citizenship issue. According to the statement, contrary to the pre-election promises of the People’s Front (political organisation which brought Latvia to independence), a substantial part of the people of Latvia was denied the right to register as citizens, and later was given an unfair and undemocratic status of “non-citizen”. The CC MPs believe that referendum could only be used as a last resort and proposes the Saeima to consider a number of measures in order to ease the situation. Among them: to recognise as citizens all non-citizens born after the restoration of independence, to offer citizenship by registration to all graduates of Latvian schools, to reduce the restrictions on naturalisation and ease the requirements (especially for elderly and people with special needs), to give non-citizens the right to vote in municipal elections and to reduce professional and other social-economic restrictions currently applied to non-citizens, as well as some other measures. Vesti Segodnya