The authorities of Latvia obliged 841 citizens of the Russian Federation to leave the country by October 13
Latvian authorities have ordered 841 Russian citizens to leave the country by October 13 due to failure to comply with requirements for proof of knowledge of the Latvian language and passing a security check. This is reported by Politico.
Following the start of a full-scale Russian war against Ukraine in 2022, Latvia amended its Immigration Law, and in 2024 the rules for Russian citizens seeking to remain in the country were further tightened.
According to the amendments, citizens of Russia must obtain the status of long-term resident of the EU, confirm knowledge of the Latvian language at the A2 level and pass a national security check by June 30, 2025. The new rules apply to about 30,000 citizens of the Russian Federation. Most have already fulfilled the requirements, about 2,600 people left voluntarily, but 841 people did not submit their documents on time.
“They were informed that they have to leave Latvia by October 13”, said the representative of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) Madara Pukje.
The head of the department Myra Roze noted that some people “did not know about the changes” until they lost access to social benefits. After October 13, the stay of these persons in the country will become illegal, and access to social services will be terminated. In case of further refusal to comply with the requirements of the law, forced deportation by the State Border Service is possible.
Latvia has recently been intensifying measures in the field of national security due to growing tensions in relations with Moscow. In May, Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braze called on EU countries to stop issuing visas to Russians, and in June the parliament passed a ban on Russian and Belarusian citizens working in strategic sectors and buying real estate in Latvia.
