Latvian MP wants citizenship bills limited to president and government

Latvian citizenship bills should be introduced in parliament only by the president or the Cabinet of Ministers, United List MP Česlavs Batņa said, LSM reported. He said the president and government could properly verify applicants’ achievements and the information they provide. MPs can currently submit such bills themselves.

The debate intensified after parliament first voted to grant Latvian citizenship to Indian scientist Divya Vishwanath through an urgent procedure, then revoked its decision amid concerns that she may have provided false information about herself.

National Alliance MP Artūrs Butāns said he was less critical of MPs’ ability to assess citizenship applications. He argued that the process should be more transparent, with documents and committee meetings made public. Butāns, who serves on parliament’s Citizenship, Migration and Social Cohesion Committee, said the recording of the committee meeting on Vishwanath’s application should be published to help restore public trust.

Butāns acknowledged that committee members had not individually reviewed Vishwanath’s documents, saying they had trusted the Latvian Academy of Sciences and the committee leadership. Batņa said restricting MPs from initiating such bills would be beneficial because they would not have to verify every document themselves.

Ineta Ziemele, a judge at the Court of Justice of the European Union, said granting citizenship outside the naturalisation process is also normal internationally. She identified the lack of a Latvian policy on citizenship grants as a problem, including grants for special merit. The state should decide which fields it wants to attract people from, she said, citing innovation as one possible area.