On Thursday, the Saeima passed the third reading of a law aimed at restricting activities that pose a threat to national security. The law prohibits certain public officials from traveling to Russia and Belarus.
The draft legislation was prepared by the Saeima’s National Security Committee. An amendment was approved extending the travel ban to include Saeima deputies.
The travel restriction is intended to prevent or mitigate national security threats posed by Russia and Belarus, and to protect the safety and legal interests of those employed in the public sector—especially at a time when Latvia’s ability to protect its nationals abroad is limited.
The ban will apply to individuals with special permits granting access to state secrets, those responsible for critical infrastructure security, and individuals employed by the Ministries of Defence, Interior, and Justice, as well as their subordinate institutions, military facilities, the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), the Tax and Customs Police, and customs officials of the State Revenue Service.
The ban will also apply to individuals working in diplomatic or consular services, as well as in the judiciary and the prosecutor’s office.
Institutions under the Ministry of the Interior include: the State Police, the State Security Service, the State Border Guard, the State Fire and Rescue Service, the Internal Security Bureau, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, the State Provision Agency, the Information Centre, the Health and Sports Centre, and the Ministry’s Polyclinic.
Institutions under the Ministry of Justice include: the Enterprise Register, the Insolvency Control Service, the State Land Service, the State Forensic Science Bureau, the Prison Administration, the Patent Office, the State Probation Service, the State Language Centre, the Court Administration, and the Maintenance Guarantee Fund Administration.
Latvia’s critical infrastructure includes facilities vital to the functioning of the state and to meeting basic societal needs—such as electricity, water, and natural gas supply networks, hospitals, bridges, airports, ports, and railway facilities.
Institutions under the Ministry of Defence include: the National Armed Forces (including the National Guard), the State Defence Military Objects and Procurement Centre, the Latvian Geospatial Information Agency, the national cybersecurity incident response team “Cert.lv,” the National Defence Academy of Latvia, the Youth Guard Centre, the Latvian War Museum, the State Defence and Logistics Procurement Centre, the Military Intelligence and Security Service, and the Colonel Oskars Kalpaks Vocational Secondary School.
“It is no secret that Russia and Belarus are intensifying intelligence operations against Latvia, and for this purpose, any Latvian national who crosses their borders can be of use to them,” said National Security Committee Chairman Ainars Latkovskis (New Unity). “Despite clear recommendations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Security Service advising against travel to Russia or Belarus for personal and national security reasons, the number of people making such trips continues to rise,” he noted previously.
Latkovskis emphasized that under the current conditions, travel to Russia and Belarus is extremely dangerous—something a large part of the population still fails to recognize.
“Intelligence officers from these states establish contact with Latvian nationals on their own territory, where they have a favorable operational environment. They are not hindered by Latvia’s counterintelligence measures or those of its allied countries. This means our ability to help Latvian nationals in trouble in Russia or Belarus is severely limited,” Latkovskis explained.
“The goal of the aggressor states in recruiting Latvian nationals is not only to obtain information about internal political processes, planned foreign policy activities, and implemented national security measures, but also to involve these individuals in other harmful actions—including activities against the interests of the state, or to deter them from fulfilling their official duties,” he added.
The travel ban will also apply to transiting through the territories of Russia and Belarus. Exceptions will be made for cases where travel is necessary for official duties or humanitarian reasons, and where the person has received temporary permission to leave Latvia.
According to the draft law, violation of the travel ban will be considered independent grounds for termination of employment with the respective individual.