Latvia: Update to Response to Information Request LVA18515.E of 13 October 1994 on the general treatment of ethnic Russians

For information on the treatment of ethnic Russians who are Latvian citizens, please consult Response to Information Request LV23961.E of 17 May 1996 and its attachments.

The Latvian Department of Citizenship and Immigration has committed abuses against non-citizen residents, for example, the denial of permanent resident status to those legally qualified (OAA Apr. 1996, 5). In July 1995, an ethnic Tartar in the Latvian city of Daugavpils set fire to himself after having written a note claiming that he had been pushed to commit suicide following denial of permanent residency status in Latvia (Transition 23 Aug. 1995, 37; Grigorievs Aug. 1995, 11-12). The Riga City Council in January 1995 attempted to limit payment of social support allowances to Latvian citizens only (The Baltic Observer 19-25 Jan. 1995).

A Latvian professor of political science at New York University commented in 1995 that tensions between ethnic Russians and Latvians have not become large-scale violent outbreaks (Grigorievs Aug. 1995, 48). The New Russian Diaspora: Russian Minorities in the Former Soviet Republics, published in 1994, also indicated that up to that date there had been no interethnic clashes in the Baltic states and that it was unlikely that these would occur (1994, 103). According to the Latvian professor of political science, nationalistic rhetoric and the enforcement of language requirements has, however, added to a level of insecurity among ethnic minorities (Grigorievs Aug. 1995, 6). For example, undercover language police incite shop clerks to speak Russian and then dismiss them from their posts or fine shop owners (ibid.).

A 28 March 1996 Washington Post article states that citizens of Baltic republics and Baltic Russians claim inter-communal relations "have never been better". About a third of ethnic Russians have in fact qualified for Latvian citizenship (Washington Post 28 Mar. 1996; OAA Apr. 1996, 4). The United States Department of State reports that no standard policy of job discrimination exists, although non-citizens are not eligible for jobs in the aviation and pharmaceutical fields and receive smaller pensions and social benefits (Washington Post 28 Mar. 1996; OAA Apr. 1996, 5). Again according to the Department of State, "many of the large, state owned, enterprises in Latvia continue to be dominated by non-citizens, the majority of whom are ethnic Russians" (OAA Apr. 1996, 5-6). The perception nonetheless exists among non-citizens in the Latvian police force that their jobs are in danger (Grigorievs Aug. 1995, 37).

According to the Latvian professor of political science, half of the Latvian police force consists of non-citizen Latvians, but the higher ranks of the police force are filled by ethnic Latvian citizens (Grigorievs Aug. 1995, 35-36). If a policeman, ethnic Latvian or Russian, were approached by a non-citizen with a minor case, he would be much more likely to investigate the citizen's case (ibid., 40). The source also mentioned that he was aware of cases of Latvian police attacking ethnic Russians (ibid., 41).

It may be of interest to note that "despite all the unhappiness over the status of the Russian-speaking population in the Baltic countries" (ITAR-TASS 17 May 1996), the emigrant and refugee flow of Russians from the Baltic republics to Russia is slight and decreasing (ibid.; Washington Post 28 Mar. 1996).

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.

References

The Baltic Observer [Riga]. 19-25 January 1995. "Riga City Council Wants to Pay Allowances Only to Citizens."

Grigorievs, Alex. August 1995. Current Situation in Latvia as of August 1995. New York, NY.

ITAR-TASS [Moscow, in Russian]. 17 May 1996. "Other Reports: Number of Ethnic Russian Refugees from Former Soviet Republics Growing." (BBC Summary 20 May 1996/NEXIS)

The New Russian Diaspora: Russian Minorities in the Former Soviet Republics. 1994.

Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.

Office of Asylum Affairs (OAA), Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. April 1996. Latvia - Profile of Asylum Claims & Country Conditions. Washington, DC: United States Department of State.

Transition: Events and Issues in the Former Soviet Union and East-Central and Southeastern Europe [Prague]. 23 August 1995. Vol. 1, No. 15 . "Latvia: Death of a Nonresident."

Washington Post. 28 March 1996. Lee Hockstader. "Baltic Independence Left Ethnic Russians Stateless; Estonia, Latvia put Citizenship to the Test." (NEXIS)

Attachments

The Baltic Observer [Riga]. 19-25 January 1995. "Riga City Council Wants to Pay Allowances Only to Citizens."

Grigorievs, Alex. August 1995. Current Situation in Latvia as of August 1995. New York, NY, pp. 6, 10-11, 35-37, 40-41, 48.

ITAR-TASS [Moscow, in Russian]. 17 May 1996. "Other Reports: Number of Ethnic Russian Refugees from Former Soviet Republics Growing." (BBC Summary 20 May 1996/NEXIS)

The New Russian Diaspora: Russian Minorities in the Former Soviet Republics. 1994.

Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, pp. 102-03.

Office of Asylum Affairs (OAA), Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. April 1996. Latvia - Profile of Asylum Claims & Country Conditions. Washington, DC: United States Department of State, pp. 4-8.

Transition: Events and Issues in the Former Soviet Union and East-Central and Southeastern Europe [Prague]. 23 August 1995. Vol. 1, No. 15. "Latvia: Death of a Nonresident, " p. 37.

Washington Post. 28 March 1996. Lee Hockstader. "Baltic Independence Left Ethnic Russians Stateless; Estonia, Latvia put Citizenship to the Test." (NEXIS)