• Chas: new immigrants from third countries may have more rights in the future than Latvias non-citizens
• Nationalists to protest against the international pop-singer contest New Wave

Chas reports that yesterday, the European Commission adopted the European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals. The Agenda foresees the broadening of the rights of immigrants for their integration, including the right to vote in the local elections. According to the newspaper, in the case of implementation of such provision in Latvia, this may give rise to a situation when recent immigrants from the third countries will have more rights than Latvias non-citizens who have been residing in Latvia for a much longer period of time as they do not have the voting rights.

Today, members of the nationalist party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM plan to hold a protest action against the international contest of young pop-singers “New Wave” organised by Russia’s TV channel in Jurmala (seaside resort town near Riga). The nationalists are dissatisfied that there are no songs being sung in the Latvian language at the festival and consider that the star walk of fame contradicts the State Language Law as the inscriptions on it are not in the Latvian language.

Today, members of the nationalist party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM plan to hold a protest action against the international contest of young pop-singers New Wave organised by Russias TV channel in Jurmala (seaside resort town near Riga). The nationalists are dissatisfied that there are no songs being sung in the Latvian language at the festival and consider that the star walk of fame contradicts the State Language Law as the inscriptions on it are not in the Latvian language. Vesti Segodnya

• Vladimir Linderman: nationalism as a state ideology hinders the development of Latvia

Chas sprints an interview with the co-chair of NGO Native Language Vladimir Linderman. He believes that nationalism as a state ideology is the main brake in Latvias development. In the acknowledgment of the official status of the Russian language in Latvia, Mr Linderman sees the way how to begin positive changes in the country. As reported, the NGO Native Language initiated the collection of signatures in support of the constitutional amendments of granting Russian the status of an official language in Latvia.

• Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte proposes to hold a discussion about the usage of state and foreign languages by the President and the Prime Minister
• Riga Latvian Society commission supports the draft integration programme elaborated by the Ministry of Culture
• Ex-MP Vaira Paegle: position of the Latvian language must be additionally strengthened in the Constitution
• Newspapers: citizens of Russian and other the CIS countries actively seeking information about the residency permit in Latvia
• Interview with academic Sergejs Kruks about integration problems in Latvia

After the meeting with the President of Latvia Andris Berzins, the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte called for a serious discussion about the usage of state and foreign languages by the country’s President and the Prime Minister. As reported, Minister Elerte disagreed with the statement by the President that language is only a tool of communication and that he can speak Russian to Russian speaking residents in  events where the usage of the state language is not mandatory.

After the meeting with the President of Latvia Andris Berzins, the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte called for a serious discussion about the usage of state and foreign languages by the countrys President and the Prime Minister. As reported, Minister Elerte disagreed with the statement by the President that language is only a tool of communication and that he can speak Russian to Russian speaking residents in events where the usage of the state language is not mandatory. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

The National Identity Commission of the Riga Latvian Society supports the draft integration programme elaborated by the Ministry of Culture. However, it believes that all residents who arrived in Latvia during the Soviet times are colonists and cannot be considered immigrants.

The National Identity Commission of the Riga Latvian Society supports the draft integration programme elaborated by the Ministry of Culture. However, it believes that all residents who arrived in Latvia during the Soviet times are colonists and cannot be considered immigrants. Vesti Segodnya

Ex-MP Vaira Paegle  in an interview with

Ex-MP Vaira Paegle in an interview with Latvijas Avize states that the position of the Latvian language must be additionally strengthened in the Constitution and that ethnic Latvians must cease speaking Russian with Russian speaking residents in order to preserve the state language. (V.Paegle returned back to the USA after failing to gain a seat in the parliamentary elections in autumn 2010.)

According to the newspapers, citizens of Russia and other CIS countries are actively seeking information about the possibility to receive residency permit in Latvia.  About 1,000 foreign citizens have received residency permits in Latvia since the amendments on granting  permits to large financial investors and owners of expensive real estate became effective on 1 July 2010. The foreigners mostly get interested in buying exclusive apartments in the seaside resort town Jurmala, capital Riga, and along the sea coast..

According to the newspapers, citizens of Russia and other CIS countries are actively seeking information about the possibility to receive residency permit in Latvia. About 1,000 foreign citizens have received residency permits in Latvia since the amendments on granting permits to large financial investors and owners of expensive real estate became effective on 1 July 2010. The foreigners mostly get interested in buying exclusive apartments in the seaside resort town Jurmala, capital Riga, and along the sea coast.. Chas, Telegraf

Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with academic Sergejs Kruks about integration problems in Latvia. Mr Kruks believes that the criteria of integration and loyalty in Latvia change too frequently as according to him the system does not want to accept non-Latvians anyway. Mr Kruks (being a non-citizen himself and not willing to undergo naturalisation procedure for principal reasons) believes that the problem of the large number of non-citizens in the country can be solved only by granting automatic citizenship to all Latvias non-citizens.

 

• Latvijas Avize prints an article about the problems and the integration of Roma in Latvia
• Newspapers report about a visit of young journalists and students from Russia to Latvia

Latvijas Avize prints an article about the problems and integration of Roma in Latvia. According to the interviewed Roma family, they allege they face contemptuous and suspicious attitudes from different institutions, in shops and other places. The head of the Roma NGO in Jelgava (city in the central part of Latvia) states that the lack of education is the main obstacle to Roma integration. The head of the NGO also states that a large number of working age Roma have emigrated from Latvia to other countries.

Latvijas Avize and Vesti Segodnya report about a visit of young journalists and students from Russia to Latvia. According to Latvijas Avize, the visit helped them challenge their stereotypes about Latvia as the country which is hostile towards Russians, the Russian language and the fact that Russians are being discriminated in the country. Vesti Segodnya, in its turn, notes that visitors shaped their perceptions after meetings with the representatives of state institutions and some NGOs, however, meetings with representatives of the Russian language media and Russian NGOs were not included on their agenda.

• President Andris Berzins: Russian language should be used in communication with the Russian speaking residents in order to understand each other
• 112 persons requested asylum in Latvia during the first six months of 2011

Neatkariga prints an interview with the new President Andris Berzins. The Presidents states that if necessary he will speak with Russian speaking residents of Latvia in the Russian language. According to the President, the status of the Latvian language as the only state language is fixed in the Constitution and it is the states foundation-stone which is much more stable than politics. Mr Berzins says: Russian language should be used in communication with Russian speaking residents in order to understand each other, explain them what we do, and how we can become closer to one other for the states benefit.

Neatkariga reports about the influx of asylum seekers in Latvia. According to the State Border Guard Service, 112 persons requested asylum in Latvia during the first six months of 2011. It is almost twice more that during all 2011 when there were 64 asylum seekers. The majority of asylum seekers come from Georgia, Congo, and other African and also Asian countries. The refugee status has been granted only to three asylum seekers and nine persons have received alternative status. Political scientist Nils Muiznieks believes that the country should be also ready for the influx of asylum seekers from Belarus where crisis is deepening.