Government backs 71-measure plan to restrict immigration

Latvia’s government on Tuesday approved a controversial Interior Ministry plan containing 71 measures to control and restrict immigration, LSM reported. The proposals include quotas for the entry of third-country nationals and limits on the number of foreign students admitted to higher education institutions.

Most of the measures still require amendments to existing laws. The plan also proposes several changes concerning the employment of foreign nationals and their admission to universities.

The plan was previously the subject of sharp disagreements within the governing coalition. A lack of agreement led to its removal from the government’s agenda, but coalition partners supported moving it forward after further consultations.

Several institutions had not yet approved the report, while business representatives called for the consequences of the proposed changes to be assessed before they are adopted.

The Interior Ministry drew up the plan based on recommendations from a parliamentary investigative commission. The commission concluded that Latvia’s existing migration management system did not provide sufficiently coordinated and effective control over the entry, residence and employment of third-country nationals.

The commission also said efforts to combat illegal migration should be strengthened for reasons of national and public security.