Latvia: Information on the ethnic make-up of the police force in Riga
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 October 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LVA18518.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Latvia: Information on the ethnic make-up of the police force in Riga, 1 October 1994, LVA18518.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab66a8.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. |
According to the director of the Latvian Centre on Human Rights and Ethnic Studies (LCHRES) in Riga, the ethnic composition of the Latvian police is changing (14 Oct. 1994). The ethnic composition of the city of Riga is approximately 35% Latvian, 60% Russian and 5% other, and although current data on the ethnic composition of the Riga police is not available, the director of LCHRES stated that it would be roughly the same as for the general population (ibid.). Currently, the majority of Riga police force members are non-Latvians, and a number of city police stations are staffed with ethnic Russians only (ibid.). The director is not aware of any case where police refused to provide protection to a person requesting it, leading him to believe that ethnic affiliation does not play a role in determining whether a person would receive protection from the Latvian police (ibid.).
The LCHRES director added that the Latvian police academies recently changed their recruitment policies and are now only accepting students who hold Latvian citizenship (ibid.). Further information on this subject is currently unavailable to the DIRB in Ottawa.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB 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.
Reference
Latvian Centre on Human Rights and Ethnic Studies (LCHRES), Riga, Latvia. 14 October 1994. Telephone interview with the director.
