Russia: Follow-up to RUS36675.E of 22 March 2001 on the situation of persons with Latvian names who do not speak Latvian, including whether they are mistreated on account of their perceived ethnicity (January 1999 - March 2001)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 19 July 2001 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | RUS37626.E |
| Reference | 4 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Russia: Follow-up to RUS36675.E of 22 March 2001 on the situation of persons with Latvian names who do not speak Latvian, including whether they are mistreated on account of their perceived ethnicity (January 1999 - March 2001), 19 July 2001, RUS37626.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4bea11c.html [accessed 1 June 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. |
A 3 April 2001 letter from the attaché of the Embassy of Latvia in Moscow states:
Now there is no clear information about number of the Latvian population living in the Russian Federation. According to the general census of the population in 1989 there were about 40,000 Latvians in Russia, and about 50% of them considered themselves Latvians and 25% could speak Latvian. Today we can really speak about 10-15,000 Latvians in Russia. Part of them have been living compactly in their villages more than 100 years. Latvians in big cities are united in Latvian Societies, which all are the members of the Congress of Russian Latvians (Krievijas Latviesu Kongress - KLK). Societies of Latvian culture started to organize in 1991 after [the] collapse of the Soviet Union.
Since that time there were not any claims or complaints about discrimination or treatment by Russian local or central authorities. The Embassy of Latvia in Russia has not [received] any complaint of that sort.
The KLK provides relations between Latvians, who live in Russia, and Latvia; organizes lectures of Latvian teachers about the Latvian language and culture. As a rule local authorities give support to this activity. There can be disagreements in political items but they not touch directly Latvians in Russia. When all Latvian organizations are registered officially in Ministry of Justice of Russia, they should conduct Russian laws.
I work in the Embassy of Latvia in Russia as an attaché dealing with Latvians who live in Russia. I travel a lot around Russia so I can confirm that Latvians in Russia are not discriminated or treated according to their nationality.
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.
Reference
Embassy of Latvia in the Russian Federation, Moscow. 3 April 2001. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.
