Latvia to deport around thousand Russian citizens
Illustrative photo (Facebook)
The Latvian government has sent letters to approximately a thousand Russians residing in the country, demanding them to leave within two weeks. They also have the option to regulate their residency status under existing laws, says the Chief of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia, Maija Roze.
According to Roze, failure to comply may lead to deportation for Russian residents. Currently, 985 Russians are at risk of deportation, and an additional 2500 Russians may face the same situation in April of this year.
If there is no response to the letters, officials from the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs will visit them at their last known place of residence. If these individuals no longer reside there, the authorities will assume they have already left Latvia. All others will be required to leave the country.
After the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Latvian government amended legislation regulating the stay of foreigners in the country. According to the updated immigration law, residence permits issued to Russian citizens in September 2023 became invalid.
Latvia and sanctions against Russia
On January 4th, it was revealed that Latvia's Minister of Transport, Kaspars Briškens, plans to propose a ban on the import of Russian and Belarusian grain in the next package of EU sanctions against Russia.
Additionally, Latvia's regulator blocked access to all websites associated with Russian Yandex.
In late December, Latvian law enforcement conducted searches at the Moscow House. The organization's leadership is suspected of evading sanctions against Russia.
