• Saeima rejected the draft amendments forbidding employers from requiring employees foreign language proficiency
• Chas prints an article by a lawyer Jelizaveta Krivcova about integration issues in Latvia

Yesterday, the Saeima rejected the draft amendments to the Labour Law forbidding employers from requiring employees foreign language proficiency proposed by the nationalists’ party All for Latvia!/For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM.

Yesterday, the Saeima rejected the draft amendments to the Labour Law forbidding employers from requiring employees foreign language proficiency proposed by the nationalists party All for Latvia!/For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya

Chas prints an article by a lawyer Jelizaveta Krivcova about integration issues in Latvia. Mrs. Krivcova believes that Latvian integration policy should include following principles: multilingualism – acceptance of multiculturalism and multilingualism of Latvian residents as a value and the most important resource for development; mutual responsibility for preservation of Latvian and Russian languages; special status of Latvian language – including positive discrimination, but ensuring real availability of Latvian language for all residents providing free-of-charge Latvian courses and study programs; preservation and development of Russian language and culture.

• 44% of naturalisation applicants fail naturalisation exams
• Study: majority of students of ethnic minority schools have positive attitude towards Latvian language
• Ombudsman Juris Jansons presented the strategy for 2011-2013
• MPs discussed the new draft integration program

According to a study conducted by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, 44% of naturalisation applicants fail naturalisation exams. On 1 January 2011, 14,6% of Latvian residents had the status of Latvian non-citizen. Regarding the reasons why non-citizens do not naturalise, 27% state that they cannot pass the naturalisation test, 24% believe that citizenship should be granted to them automatically, 17% are waiting for easier naturalisation procedures, 14% prefer to keep the status of non-citizen because it is easier to travel to the CIS countries, 8% do not have time for naturalisation, and 4% state that they do not want to have Latvian citizenship.

According to a study conducted by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, 44% of naturalisation applicants fail naturalisation exams. On 1 January 2011, 14,6% of Latvian residents had the status of Latvian non-citizen. Regarding the reasons why non-citizens do not naturalise, 27% state that they cannot pass the naturalisation test, 24% believe that citizenship should be granted to them automatically, 17% are waiting for easier naturalisation procedures, 14% prefer to keep the status of non-citizen because it is easier to travel to the CIS countries, 8% do not have time for naturalisation, and 4% state that they do not want to have Latvian citizenship. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

According to a study “Factors Influencing Mastering and Usage of Latvian Language” commissioned by the State Language Agency, majority of students of ethnic minority schools have positive attitude towards Latvian language and want to study it. At the same time, 89% of students consider that Russian language should have status of second official language in Latvia. Students of minority schools the most often use Latvian in schools and in shops. The majority of ethnic minority students use Russian language informative space. 

According to a study Factors Influencing Mastering and Usage of Latvian Language commissioned by the State Language Agency, majority of students of ethnic minority schools have positive attitude towards Latvian language and want to study it. At the same time, 89% of students consider that Russian language should have status of second official language in Latvia. Students of minority schools the most often use Latvian in schools and in shops. The majority of ethnic minority students use Russian language informative space. Chas, Latvijas Avize

Yesterday, the Ombudsman Juris Jansons presented the strategy for 2011-2013. The main issues mentioned in the strategy are civil and political rights, elimination of discrimination and hate crimes, social and economical rights, criminal rights, good governance and rights of children.  The Ombudsman also will pay close attention to the rights of detained foreigners and problems of asylum seekers.

Yesterday, the Ombudsman Juris Jansons presented the strategy for 2011-2013. The main issues mentioned in the strategy are civil and political rights, elimination of discrimination and hate crimes, social and economical rights, criminal rights, good governance and rights of children. The Ombudsman also will pay close attention to the rights of detained foreigners and problems of asylum seekers. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Chas

Telegraf reports about a meeting of the Saeimas Committee on Education and Culture which discussed the new draft integration program. The majority of the MPs supported the draft guidelines of the program according to which integration should be based on Latvian language, and ethnic Latvian values and culture.

• President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers called on the politicians not to divide residents according to their ethnic belonging
• Diena: state institutions do not calculate how much introduction of second state language would cost

Yesterday, the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers made a traditional speech at the University of Latvia. According to the newspapers, the President stated that all children who were born in Latvia should be granted citizenship automatically because “they were born here and it is their motherland.” The President also called on the politicians not to divide residents according to their ethnic belonging.

Yesterday, the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers made a traditional speech at the University of Latvia. According to the newspapers, the President stated that all children who were born in Latvia should be granted citizenship automatically because they were born here and it is their motherland. The President also called on the politicians not to divide residents according to their ethnic belonging. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Diena prints an article about the collection of signatures in support of Russian language as second official language in Latvia. According to the newspaper, state institutions did not start calculation on how much introduction of second state language would cost because it is not known yet whether referendum on this issue will be initiated. Experts interviewed by Diena believes that big activities of residents signing for such proposal is provoked by proposal of ethnic Latvian nationalists to make education in all state funded schools only in Latvian language. As reported, the organisation For Native Tongue reported that it has collected required 10,000 signatures for initiation of state funded collection of signatures during 45 days.

• President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers: Latvian will forever remain the only state language in Latvia

The President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers in an interview to Russia’s TV channel stated that Latvian will forever remain the only state language in Latvia because it forms the foundation of the state. The President also stated that the state should continue funding ethnic minority schools in Latvia.

The President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers in an interview to Russias TV channel stated that Latvian will forever remain the only state language in Latvia because it forms the foundation of the state. The President also stated that the state should continue funding ethnic minority schools in Latvia. Vesti Segodnya

• 10,000 signatures collected for granting official status to Russian language
• ECRI is preparing the 4th report about Latvia
• Minister of Foreign Affairs Girts Valdis Kristovskis: Latvia is considering potential for accommodation of refugees
• Chas interviews political scientist Ilga Kreituse about integration policy in Latvia.

Initiators of the collection of signatures for referendum on granting Russian language status of official in Latvia informed that they already collected 10,000 signatures required to start the state funded collection of signatures. However, they will submit the signatures to the Central Electoral Committee in the end of the summer so that state funded collection of signatures to be conducted in September because the during the summer time people are not so active.

Initiators of the collection of signatures for referendum on granting Russian language status of official in Latvia informed that they already collected 10,000 signatures required to start the state funded collection of signatures. However, they will submit the signatures to the Central Electoral Committee in the end of the summer so that state funded collection of signatures to be conducted in September because the during the summer time people are not so active. Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize reports that the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance of the Council of Europe (ECRI) is preparing the 4th report about Latvia. The draft report will be sent to Latvia in the middle or the end of the summer.

Yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Girts Valdis Kristovskis stated that Latvia is considering potential for accommodation of refugees from Libya and Tunisia. According to the Minister there were no demands to Latvia regarding this issue yet.

Yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Girts Valdis Kristovskis stated that Latvia is considering potential for accommodation of refugees from Libya and Tunisia. According to the Minister there were no demands to Latvia regarding this issue yet. Telegraf

Chas interviews political scientist Ilga Kreituse about integration policy in Latvia. Mrs Kreituse believes that the draft integration program proposed by the Ministry of Culture is based on American model of integration and will not be effective in Latvian conditions. Mrs Kreituse believes that Latvian residents are not divided on ethnic lines because from the one side there are ethnic Latvians but from the other some kind of Soviet nation. According to Mrs Kreituse, the factors which unite ethnic minorities in Latvia in one group are that ethnic Latvians view at the majority of them, including Ukrainians and Belorussians, as at Russian speakers and call residents who arrived to Latvia during Soviet times and their descendants occupants.