Thousands of Russians face expulsion from Latvia due to immigration law amendments

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Thousands of Russians face expulsion from Latvia after the Baltic country's parliament approved amendments to immigration law requiring holders of permanent resident permits having Russian origin to show proof of the Latvian language at A2 level.

The Latvian immigration service has already started withdrawing resident permits en masse, Oleg Zykov, Russian charge d'affairs to Latvia, told Russian media on Wednesday.

Zykov described amendments as "inhuman" and "discriminatory," adding that people of Russian origin have been suffering human rights violations in Latvia "for years."

"Since gaining independence, the leadership of this Baltic republic has taken a course towards building a mono-ethnic state. Within the framework of this ideological attitude, for many years the authorities of the republic have pursued a purposeful policy of squeezing out all Russian," he emphasized.

Last September, the Latvian authorities adopted amendments to the immigration law, suspending the possibility of extending a temporary residence permit for Russian citizens if they received it on the basis of investments or purchase of real estate in Latvia.

To obtain a residence permit again, its holder must confirm knowledge of the Latvian language before existing residence permit expires. The same rule applies to those who receive a residence permit for the first time.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, of all its former republics only the Baltic states did not grant the citizenship to the people of Russian origin automatically. Instead, they appointed a status of "non-citizens" to them, limiting their rights.

After Russia launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022, the Baltic countries, staunch supporters of Kyiv, tightened residence rules for Russians, creating conditions for their expulsion -- prohibited issuing visas with some exclusions for opposition figures, and significantly complicated getting and extending resident permits.