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.

• The government considers lowering refugee benefits

• Latvijas Avize interviews Riga Deputy Ieva Holma 

Newspapers report that the ruling coalition agreed to lower the refugee benefits. Representatives of the National Union “All for Latvia! – For Fatherland and Freedom/Latvian National Independence Movement” argued that it is socially unjust that the current amount of refugee benefit (EUR 256 per month) is higher than the income of many people in Latvia. The coalition preliminary agreed to lower the benefit for refugees or persons with alternative status to EUR 130-150. Neatkariga, Vesti Segodnya 

Latvijas Avize interviews Ieva Holma, Deputy of the Riga City Council and Board Member of the National Union “All for Latvia! – For Fatherland and Freedom/Latvian National Independence Movement”. Ieva Holma sees tendencies within the Riga City Council which threaten ethnic Latvianness (latviskums): the municipality publishes its newspaper in two languages (Latvian and Russian), municipal State Language Service has been merged with another municipal institution, there were attempts to introduce translation of safety instructions into Russian for rickshaws serving tourists. She believes Riga is unable to accommodate refugees, because the issue of housing is very difficult in the municipality: there are several thousand persons waiting in the queue to receive accommodation, including persons with disability, poor, orphans, while many residents are living in wreckage houses and it would be unfair to provide privileges to refugees. Latvijas Avize (05.10.2015)