Approximately 30,000 Russian citizens were impacted by the new regulations. While most adhered to them, around 2,600 have chosen to leave Latvia voluntarily.
Nonetheless, 841 Russian citizens did not submit the necessary documents on time. They have been instructed to leave by October 13, according to Madara Puķe, head of public relations at Latvia’s Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA), as reported by POLITICO.
Some individuals seem to be unaware of these changes.
“Only when their pension payments stop do they realize something is amiss,” Maira Roze, head of OCMA, informed Latvian Television’s “De facto” program. She elaborated, “That’s when they call us. They ask why they are not receiving their pension. We tell them: You do not have a residence permit. They inquire: Where is my residence permit? We respond: You need to comply with the law.”
After October 13, the stay in Latvia for these individuals becomes “unlawful,” Puķe stated in a written reply, noting that access to social services will be revoked. Continued non-compliance without a valid reason may result in forced deportation by the State Border Guard.
Recently, there have been efforts to enhance national security in Latvia amidst increasing tensions with Moscow.
In May, Foreign Minister Baiba Braže urged EU countries to cease issuing visas to Russian citizens, citing security issues. In June, the parliament prohibited Russian and Belarusian citizens from working in critical infrastructure and from purchasing real estate in Latvia.
Leave a Reply