Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, criticized Latvia’s September amendments to its immigration legislation as discriminatory. She stated that people holding Russian citizenship who do not pass the Latvian language exam should be deported. The Russian Foreign Ministry published this commentary as part of its official communications, underscoring the deep concern from Moscow about Latvia’s policy direction and its potential impact on Russian citizens living in Latvia.
Zakharova argued that the amendments violate several cornerstone international agreements and protections. She asserted that the changes undermine provisions in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Fundamental Freedoms. The implication is that the Latvian reforms could contravene widely recognized commitments to equal treatment and non-discrimination in citizenship and residency matters.
The Foreign Ministry noted that Russian citizens facing evacuation or consular challenges received timely legal and consular support from Moscow. It said that all such cases were documented to ensure a formal record of assistance and to monitor the process, indicating a structured approach to protecting nationals abroad amid shifting regulatory environments in host countries.
The commentary also claimed that a significant portion of Russians living in Latvia did not achieve a satisfactory score on the Latvian language test. This point is presented as evidence that the policy structure disproportionately affects Russian-speaking communities and raises questions about the fairness and practicality of language-based residency or citizenship requirements in the Latvian system.
Separately, reports referenced in the Russian discourse mentioned a prior decision in Saratov concerning restrictions on signs in foreign languages. This linkage is used to illustrate a broader pattern of regulation concerning language use in public spaces and official communication, suggesting an ongoing concern about language policy across different regions and administrative levels.