SOCIETY INTEGRATION IN LATVIA

Since Latvia regained its independence in 1991, integration policy has been a key issue in its domestic affairs. Through the implementation of sound policies in the area of integration and national minority issues, Latvia has demonstrated its readiness as a reliable partner in the building of a united Europe.

Latvia has ratified several important human rights instruments, consulted with international human rights experts and followed the recommendations of various international organizations (UNO, OSCE, COE etc.) during the drafting of relevant legislation. This has helped ensure that Latvian legislation and practice fully conform to international standards.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summarized the examples attesting to the success of the Society Integration Policy carried out in Latvia.

Integration Policy in Latvia: A Multi-Faceted Approach

The material contains the main issues of the Society Integration in brief showing the diverse aspects of the policy: the ethnic structure of Latvia and citizenship issues, the promotion of the national minority cultural identity, the Latvian Language Learning Programme and its results, as well as education opportunities for national minorities in Latvia.

National Minority Education in Latvia

The material contains detailed information about the national minority education reform carried out in Latvia. Taking into account the significant outcome of this reform, international organizations and their officials have positively assessed this reform.

Support for Latvian language learning in Latvia

One of the functions in promoting society integration is to ensure a favourable educational environment for language learning; therefore, a lot of attention is paid to continued methodological education for the teachers of Latvian as a second language. The material contains information about the results of the activities carried out to promote learning of the official language.

Citizenship in Latvia

The informative material contains statistical data on the citizenship of Latvia’s population, information about the procedures as laid down by the naturalisation policy and activities carried out by the Government to facilitate the naturalisation procedure.

Latvia has carried out significant institutional reforms that also affected the institutions dealing with society integration issues in Latvia. On 7 December 2010, the functions of society integration were handed over to the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Interior.

The Ministry of Culture is responsible for the elaboration of government policy in the field of society integration, and for its implementation and coordination.

Starting from 1 June 2011, the Ministry of Interior has taken over the elaboration and implementation of the immigrant integration policy and the supervision of the European Fund for the Integration of Third-country Nationals.

Ministry of Culture www.km.gov.lv

Ministry of Education and Science www.izm.gov.lv

Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs www.pmlp.gov.lv

Latvian Language Agency www.valoda.lv/

Ministry of Justice www.tm.gov.lv/lv/noderigi/sab_integracija.html