Latvia: Whether acceptance that the Soviet Union illegitimately occupied Latvia until 1991 is a requirement to obtain Latvian citizenship (2002)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 25 April 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LVA38931.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Latvia: Whether acceptance that the Soviet Union illegitimately occupied Latvia until 1991 is a requirement to obtain Latvian citizenship (2002), 25 April 2002, LVA38931.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4be651f.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
No information on whether acceptance that the Soviet Union illegitimately occupied Latvia until 1991 is a requirement to obtain Latvian citizenship.
However, a 2000 guide published by the Naturalization Board of the Republic of Latvia to help applicants for Latvian citizenship prepare for the required examination on Latvia's Constitution, national anthem and history, lists "occupation" among the examples of "the more [sic] significant facts" of Latvia's history that an applicant for Latvian citizenship must know (6). The guide also includes a sample of the written test and the questions of the 1999 and 2000 examinations.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
The Naturalization Board of the Republic of Latvia. 2000. Methodological Recommendations for Applicants of the Citizenship of Latvia While Reading for an Examination of the Knowledge of the Basic Principles of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia, the Text of the National Anthem and the History of Latvia. Riga: The Naturalization Board of the Republic of Latvia.
Additional Sources Consulted
Bulletin européen sur la nationalité 2000
Foreign Law: Current Sources of Codes and Basic Legislation in Jurisdictions of the World.
IRB Databases
The Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies (LCHRES). Human Rights in Latvia in 2001.
The Latvian Human Rights Committee (F.I.D.H.). Minority Issues in Latvia (2001-2002).
LEXIS/NEXIS
The Third Secretary of the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Ottawa could not provide any specific information on the subject.
Internet sites including:
Amnesty International
British Helsinki Human Rights Group
Embassy of Latvia in Washington, DC
Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Ottawa
European Commission. 2001 Regular Report on Latvia's Progress Towards Accession.
Freedom House
Human Rights Watch
International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia
Naturalization Board of the Republic of Latvia
Open Society Institute. Monitoring the EU Accession Process: Minority Protection.
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
UK Home Office Country Assessments
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
US Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001.
World News Connection (WNC)
