Charge d’Affaires allowed the deportation of Russians from Latvia

Chargé d’Affaires of Russia in Latvia Oleg Zykov does not exclude the possibility of deportation of Russians from the republic, he talks about this told in an interview with TASS agency.

On October 5, the Department of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia reported that 3,255 letters were sent to citizens of the Russian Federation who live in the country with information about the expiration of their residence permit. Russians must leave the republic before November 30, 2023. It is clarified that these people have not submitted documents to request EU permanent resident status or an application for a re-examination in the Latvian language.

“Obviously, in this way our fellow citizens are unambiguously made clear that they are no longer welcome in Latvia. In essence, this is a form of compulsion to leave on your own. As for the prospects of deportations, there is certainly such a possibility, and it is quite real,” he said.

The number of Russians declared “outlaws” in Latvia, Zykov believes, may grow, and ultimately everything will depend on the “task” handed down from above to local officials and the spirit with which they will carry it out.

“In turn, we do not lose hope that common sense will still prevail and the Latvian authorities will not allow a slide into a situation of a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe,” he said.

In September 2022, the Latvian parliament approved amendments that shorten the period of permanent residence permits issued to Russians until September 1, 2023. To stay in Latvia, it is necessary, among other things, to pass an exam on knowledge of the state language at level A2. The Russian Foreign Ministry called these amendments discriminatory.

61% of Russian citizens failed the Latvian language exam on the first attempt, it was reported on September 4. According to LSM, a total of 13,147 Russians were registered for the language proficiency test, of which only 11,301 people came for testing. 6,500 Russian citizens have already signed up for the retake.

On September 14, the Sejm extended by two years the period during which Russians can take the language exam. As a result, those who did not pass the exam the first time or were absent for a valid reason will be able to apply for a temporary residence permit for two years. During this period, they must learn the language and pass the test successfully.