Latvia has ordered 841 Russian citizens to leave the country by October 13. They were unable to prove their proficiency in the Latvian language and pass mandatory security checks.
Politico writes about this.
After the start of Russiaʼs full-scale aggression against Ukraine, Latvia amended its immigration law to make rules stricter for Russian citizens. In 2024, it tightened restrictions even further.
Russian citizens had to apply for EU long-term resident status, demonstrate Latvian language proficiency at A2 level, and pass a security and background check by June 30, 2025, in order to remain legally in the country.
The new rules affected nearly 30 000 Russian citizens. While most managed to comply, about 2 600 left Latvia voluntarily.
However, 841 Russian citizens did not submit the required documents on time. A representative of the Latvian Citizenship and Migration Board Madara Puke told Politico that they were told to leave the country by October 13. Their continued stay in Latvia becomes illegal.
They will be denied social services, and if they continue to fail to comply with the requirements without justification, they may be forcibly deported.
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