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.

• Inter-institutional working group: refugees could be hosted by foster families
• MEP from Latvia Andrejs Mamikins: Latvia may be forced to accommodate up to 4,000 refugees
• Weekly Sestdiena interviews the Saeima’s Speaker Inara Murniece
• 10 Latvian secondary school students are going to Russia’s educative military-sports camp again

Yesterday, the inter-institutional working group on accommodation of refugees headed by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Ilze Petersone-Godmane met with representatives of NGOs working with asylum seekers and refugees. According to one of the proposals, refugees could be hosted by foster families. Such system would help refugees to integrate in Latvia. Within the next sessions of the working group it is planned to meet with representatives of religious organisations which also support this idea and could help to prepare foster families. Latvijas Avize

The MEP from Latvia Andrejs Mamikins considers that accommodation of 250 refugees is only beginning and further Latvia may be forced to accommodate up to 4,000 refugees from North African countries and Afghanistan. The other MEP Iveta Grigule also agrees that Latvia will have to accept larger number of refugees. She also says that the European Parliament wants to cancel priinciple of voluntary accomodation of refugees and elaborates legal provisions setting refugee quotas for each country. Neatkariga  

According to the Saeima’s Speaker Inara Murniece, integration is a process when a person accepts the values offered by the state. She believes that Latvians should be open to accept everyone who is willing to join them. Latvians can be with different skin colour and ethnic origin, says Mrs Murniece. At the same time, she believes that all schools in Latvia should be in Latvian language only as it would strengthen Latvian language environment and all children of asylum seekers or refugees should study in Latvian language schools. Weekly magazine Sestdiena

Vesti Segodnya reports that 10 Latvian secondary school students are going to Russia’s educative military-sports camp “Union 2015. Successors of the Victory” which will be held in Armenia. As reported, the Security Police drew attention on participation of Latvian young people in Russia’s military camps and warned that the content and ideology of such camps might contradict Latvian national security interests. The camp coordinator from Latvia Sergejs Ivans approves that representatives of the security services conducted conversations with camp’s organisers in Latvia and parents of children who are going to attend it.