Latvia introduced stricter rules of stay for citizens of Russia: 841 people with Russian passports must leave the country by October 13. reports DW.
The head of the Directorate for Citizenship and Migration Affairs Myra Roze said that due to changes in the legislation, migration services require these citizens of the Russian Federation to leave Latvia within the stipulated time.
Changes to the country’s migration legislation were adopted back in 2022 in response to Russian aggression against Ukraine. They provide for restrictions for Russians living in Latvia. About 25% of the country’s 1.9 million population is the Russian-speaking minority.
In order to stay in the country legally, citizens of Russia must apply for permanent residence status, confirm knowledge of the Latvian language at a level sufficient for everyday life, and pass a security check.
The new rules affected about 25,000 people: approximately 16,000 of them have already received a permanent residence permit, another thousand – temporary. Those who have not received any of these documents are obliged to leave Latvia. According to the Latvian authorities, 2,600 Russians have already left voluntarily, in ten cases forced expulsion was used.
