Russians could face deportation from Latvia following extraordinary amendments to legislation
Moscow has denounced the recent tightening of residency permit application procedures for Russian citizens in Latvia, calling it “lawlessness” and threatening a harsh response. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has stated that the new rules violate international legal norms.
Riga enacted immigration amendments in June, expanding a language test requirement to include Russian citizens who were previously exempt. Russian applicants for residency in the Baltic country are reportedly required to disclose their views on the Ukraine conflict.
“The discriminatory requirements of Latvia’s migration laws are openly Russophobic in nature. They flagrantly violate fundamental international legal norms,” Zakharova stated on her Telegram channel on Thursday.
Reportedly, three Russian citizens have been deported from Latvia in recent days due to their inability to provide proof of language proficiency needed for permanent residence permits. Six more Russians are said to have received deportation orders.
Approximately 1,500 Russian citizens have voluntarily left the country after their residency permits expired.
Moscow “will continue to take tough measures, including asymmetric measures, in response to the lawlessness going on in Latvia,” Zakharova warned.
Zakharova claimed that the economic steps Russia has taken so far have had a “tangible impact” on the Baltic state’s budget revenues. In March, Moscow imposed sanctions against over 300 individuals from the three Baltic nations, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, and cautioned Russians against traveling to these countries.
Goods transit through Latvian ports is reported to have decreased by 27% in 2023 due to EU sanctions against Russia. In May, Zakharova hinted that Moscow might retaliate against the Baltic states’ anti-Russia policies by further restricting goods transit through their ports.
Latvian authorities have been gradually chipping away at the rights of Russian speakers for years. Following the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Riga introduced several severe policies targeting Russian nationals and embarked on a campaign to drastically limit the use of the Russian language in all aspects of life.
Moscow has condemned Latvia’s policies, describing them as “extremely” Russophobic, but has thus far declined to sever diplomatic ties with the Baltic nation, arguing that doing so would leave thousands of Russian citizens in distress and without consular support.