Latvia has issued orders for 841 Russian citizens to leave the country by October 13th. This comes after these individuals failed to meet crucial legal requirements, including demonstrating proficiency in the Latvian language and passing mandatory security screenings.
Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, Latvia amended its Immigration Law, further tightening it in 2024. These changes imposed stricter rules for Russian nationals seeking to remain in the Baltic country.
What are the New Rules?
The amended laws require Russian citizens to apply for EU long-term resident status, prove their Latvian language skills at the A2 level, and successfully complete security and background checks by June 30, 2025, to maintain legal residency in Latvia.
Approximately 30,000 Russian citizens were affected by these new regulations. While the majority managed to comply, around 2,600 chose to leave Latvia voluntarily. However, 841 Russian citizens did not submit the required documents within the stipulated timeframe.
Madara Puķe, head of public relations at Latvia’s Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA), confirmed that these individuals have been notified to leave by October 13th. She also highlighted that some individuals were seemingly unaware of the changes.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Maira Roze, the head of OCMA, noted that some individuals only realised the issue when their pension payments stopped. Puķe clarified that staying in Latvia after October 13th would be deemed "unlawful," leading to the withdrawal of social services. Persistent non-compliance could even result in forced deportation by the State Border Guard.
In response to growing tensions with Moscow, Latvia has been actively reinforcing its national security measures. In May, Foreign Minister Baiba Braže urged EU countries to suspend visa issuance to Russian citizens due to security concerns.