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Nationalsts’ proposal to suspend issuing residence permits to Russians rejected by Saeima

BC, Riga, 11.09.2014.Print version
Saeima decided today to reject the amendments to the Immigration Law proposed by All for Latvia! – For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK (VL-TB/LNK), stipulating that in order to prevent threat to national security, the government has to suspend issuing residence permits to Russian citizens, informs LETA.

VL-TB/LNNK's motion received support from 20 coalition deputies, while 25 of them abstained. Meanwhile, 34 opposition deputies and members of Reform Party's Saeima Group voted against.


VL-TB/LNK's Dzintars Rasnacs suggested that the motion be discussed by the Latvian National Security Council, while Saeima Speaker Solvita Aboltina (Unity) pointed out that the council had already done this yesterday.


"Taking into account Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, which poses a threat to Latvia and all of Europe, as well as statistics that show that the majority of the permits are issued to Russian citizens, VL-TB/LNK believes that this practice must be ceased immediately as it is a question of national security," the party's announcement says.


The party's deputies justified this proposal saying that a person who, according to the Immigration Law, acquires a residence permit in Latvia, at the same time obtains a certain economic influence over the country, and a chance to affect the current political and social processes in Latvia, as well as the opportunity to influence the circulation of public information.


VL-TB/LNNK stressed that Latvia cannot take "such unwanted risks and cause itself additional threat." VL-TB/LNNK urged the government to amend the Immigration Law, stipulating that the suspension of issuing residence permits to Russian residents would be implemented in connection with Russia's violation of international laws and regulations with its aggression against Ukraine.


Saeima decided to reject this proposal, although several coalition partners yesterday promised to discuss this proposal in committees. Transport Minister Anrijs Matiss (Unity), on the other hand, said that this proposal needs to be discussed in greater detail.


Opposition Harmony Center MPs are against "canceling the right for Russian citizens – who have invested major sums of money in Latvia's economy – to receive the temporary residence permits." They referred to the motion as "VL-TB/LNNK's solo sanctions against Russia."









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