• Border Guard Service has detained first illegal immigrants in the Riga’s Airport shortly after mandatory passport control was cancelled for the flights to the Schengen countries
• Ministry of Justice has prepared a draft project stipulating easing the procedure for changing name, surname and ethnicity
• Cabinet of Ministers is planning to review the draft amendments to the Administrative Violations Code which stipulate incense of liability for violations of the State Language Law
• Tatjana Zdanoka:  interests of Russian speakers will remain the priority of the FHRUL

Yesterday, shortly after the mandatory passport control was cancelled for flights to the Schengen countries, the Border Guard Service has detained first illegal immigrants in the Riga’s Airport – two citizens of Philippines have arrived to Riga from Germany.  The Chief of the State Border Guard Gunars Dabolins has stated that the fact that Latvia has joined the Schengen Agreement and removed the border controls has increased a risk that there will be an increased influx of illegal emigrants to Latvia. According to Mr. Dabolins, the number of people migrating to Latvia illegally is not very big at the moment. Chas, Telegraf

The Ministry of Justice has prepared a draft project which stipulates easing the procedure for changing name, surname and ethnicity. According to the draft law, a person who wants to change ethnicity to Latvian will have to show only birth certificate or passports of closest relatives who are ethnic Latvians. Presently, in order to become ethnic Latvian one has to present documents supporting the claim that he/she is a descendant of ethnic Latvians and also has to prove his/her Latvian language proficiency skills at highest category or present graduation diploma from Latvian language school. Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf, NRA

Latvijas Avize reports that tomorrow, the Cabinet of Ministers is planning to review the draft amendments to the Administrative Violations Code which stipulate incense of liability for violations of the State Language Law. According to the draft amendments, text on seals and blanks of organisations and enterprises should be printed only in Latvian language. Also the draft amendments stipulate fines for provision of information in foreign languages on titles, signboards and in reports if the law stipulates that this information should be provided in state language. The newspaper also reports that inspectors of the State Language Centre complain about aggressive and disrespectful attitude towards them in inspected enterprises.

At a session of the council of the political party For Human Rights in United Latvia (FHRUL), the Co-chairman of the party Tatjana Zdanoka has stated that issues concerning interests of Russian speakers will remain the priority of the party’s activities. Chas, Latvijas Avize