Latvia Backs Away From Rules to Expel Thousands of Russians
- Language requirement would trigger expulsion of up to 10,000
- Move sheds light on hardline measures adopted by Baltic states
A mural depicting Vladimir Putin, Russia's President, on a building adjacent to the Russian embassy, in Riga, Latvia.
Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Latvia’s government signaled it would back away from a plan to strip permanent residency from Russian citizens after as many as 10,000 people risked expulsion from the Baltic nation for not meeting a language requirement.
Interior Minister Maris Kucinskis announced legislative changes that would extend a deadline by two years. He said the measures requiring Russian residents to demonstrate proficiency in Latvian amounted to a “political decision” approved in the heat of campaigning ahead of an October election.