Riga orders 27 Russian citizens to leave
The Latvian Citizenship and Migration Board ordered 27 Russian citizens to leave the country based on amendments to Latvia's immigration law, the LSM news outlet reported on April 11.
According to Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis, there was
no physical forced expulsion. About 500 Russians, who did not meet the
requirements of the amendments and did not submit documents for obtaining a
residence permit in Latvia, left the country on their own.
"The State Border Guard has checked the declared places
of residence and in most of them no persons were found," he said.
On Jan. 18, Riga began deportation proceedings against 985 Russian citizens who
failed the state language exam or did not apply for another type of residence
permit, which is required by the Immigration Law.
Gunārs Kutris, the chairman of the Latvian Saeima’s Committee
on Citizenship, Migration, and Social Cohesion, predicted “forced expulsions of
Russians,” but noted that the exact number was uncertain and that “it will not
happen overnight.”
In September 2022, Latvian authorities amended the
immigration law to require people with Russian passports who are permanent
residents of Latvia to take a language test within one year. The changes
affected about 25,000 Russians living in the country.
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