Latvia discusses new immigration law
Following a legal amendment last year, almost 20,000 permanent residents of Latvia with Russian citizenship must either prove by 1 September that they can speak Latvian at least at the A2 level, which means that they can perform routine tasks in the language, or present a psychiatric certificate exempting them from the test. Otherwise, their residence permit will not be extended. The national press is divided on the issue.
Latvian not a problem for Russian chauvinism
Diena says the law is a patently misguided integration policy:
“Focusing on Latvian language skills as a way of identifying people's loyalty or hostility to the Latvian state is one of the biggest fallacies of integration policy since the restoration of independence. Take a look at the social media, especially since the Russian invasion of Ukraine: mockery of Latvia and its history is everywhere. Most of the posts do not testify to a poor knowledge of the Latvian language. Modern Russian chauvinism even has a strong tendency to demonstrate that it can freely express its Kremlin world views in several foreign languages, and Latvian is no problem for it.”
Where there's a will, there's a way
Latvijas Avīze quotes a TV commentary by journalist Silvija Šimfa, who defends the new regulation:
“I certainly sympathise with the colonists who were transferred to Latvia not of their own free will, but because of state policy. They settled here and lived here, but this whole Russian policy has made them believe that they can continue to go on living here in the same way. It's very difficult for them to get used to the fact that this is no longer a colony but an independent nation state with completely different rules and requirements. ... Those who want to learn the language look for opportunities to do so. ... Stop watching soap operas, sitting on park benches and gossiping your neighbours. Start learning the language!”