On Thursday, the Saeima decided to establish a parliamentary investigative commission to examine problems in national and European Union (EU) immigration regulations and in the work of the responsible institutions.
The draft decision to appoint the parliamentary investigative commission “On problems in national and EU-level immigration regulation and the work of implementing institutions leading to mass entry and residence of third-country nationals in the Republic of Latvia” was signed by 34 MPs from the National Alliance (NA), the United List (AS), Latvia First (LPV), as well as non-affiliated MPs Aleksandrs Kiršteins and Andrejs Ceļapīters.
The creation of the commission was supported by 76 MPs from NA, AS, LPV, New Unity (JV), Progressives, and the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS). One MP — Juris Jakovins (ZZS) — abstained.
Meanwhile, 12 MPs did not vote, including all MPs from the Stability! faction, as well as Gunārs Kūtris (ZZS), Ingmārs Līdaka (AS), Māris Kučinskis (AS), Edvīns Šnore (NA) and Oļegs Burovs (GKR).
During the debate,
NA MP Jānis Dombrava said the commission could avoid becoming a political battleground
and instead serve as a platform where MPs examine immigration-related issues, identify problems, propose solutions, and help hold accountable those who, by ignoring the law, have exploited mass immigration for personal gain.
Progressives’ faction leader Andris Šuvajevs argued that creating such a commission seriously undermines the purpose and meaning of parliamentary investigations. He noted that the application does not specify exactly what will be investigated—only that problems in immigration regulation at the national and EU level will be reviewed.
He pointed out that these tasks should already be carried out by existing Saeima committees, such as the Citizenship, Migration and Social Cohesion Committee, adding that only a few questions and a single request on this matter have so far been submitted.
“This commission is purely a pre-election manoeuvre,
where public resources—both financial and otherwise—will be used for politicians to build their own campaign platform within the Saeima,” Šuvajevs said.
LPV MP Edmunds Zivtiņš said the public is worried about the influx of immigrants. He noted that Riga has taken a “very interesting” and in his view commendable course—focusing on combating illegal migration. He said it is important to understand the situation, available resources, support measures, and cooperation among services.
New Unity faction leader Edmunds Jurēvics said JV would support the commission and work constructively in it. He noted that legislation related to immigration has been strengthened during this parliamentary term, though, in his view, it should become even stricter. He also stressed that Latvia has pushed for stricter EU immigration policy to protect its external borders.
The commission is expected to operate for six months.
According to the draft decision, since 2015 the number of third-country nationals residing in Latvia with temporary or permanent residence permits has increased significantly, exceeding 105,000 people. In addition, an unknown number of individuals are present in the country using visas or travel documents issued by other EU member states.
The decision also notes that the situation is governed by EU regulations requiring travellers to present valid documents and all necessary entry permissions when crossing borders.
Furthermore, since 2021 the Baltic states and Poland have been targets of hybrid warfare orchestrated by the Belarusian regime, which has organised flows of illegal migrants into the EU. Many of these third-country nationals illegally cross the Latvia–Belarus border, abusing the asylum procedure to avoid expulsion.
“Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, national security risks have only increased
— especially regarding Russian and Belarusian citizens living in Latvia,” the document states, adding that Europe continues to face “a high level of terrorist threat, including from individuals aligned with radical Islamist ideology.”
These conditions impose a growing burden on state institutions responsible for ensuring effective control measures, so that migrants comply with Latvian laws and do not pose security risks.
The document stresses that existing national and EU-level regulations are not sufficient to address current challenges, and therefore Saeima involvement is required to identify weaknesses, eliminate regulatory gaps enabling mass entry and stay of third-country nationals, and propose amendments and tasks for the government—particularly regarding immigration from high-risk or terrorism-supporting countries.
“Latvia must not become the weak link in protecting the EU’s borders or an attractive destination for individuals who threaten our national security, public order or value system,” the document states.
The commission must determine: how immigration applications are assessed;
what measures are taken to prevent illegal immigration, including illegal border crossings and residence without legal basis; what problems exist in asylum regulation; how many people disappear from the oversight of institutions after receiving residence permits; whether support for refugees is proportionate compared to support for vulnerable Latvian residents; what issues exist in the visa issuance and use process.
It will also examine: whether temporary residence permits are misused, especially via student status; risks associated with general residence permits, including investment-based permits; problems related to permanent residence permits and EU long-term resident status; risks linked to employment and residence of nationals from high-terrorism-risk countries such as Russia, Pakistan, India.
The commission will further review: whether there is abuse in applications for residence permits based on “family reunification”; whether document forgery related to immigration has been detected; how corruption risks are mitigated in state institutions and embassies; how compliance is ensured for persons entering Latvia using documents issued by other EU countries.
Additionally, it will investigate the costs and problems associated with forced expulsion;
social support expenditures for third-country nationals and the prevention of social benefit abuse; the capacity of responsible services to ensure effective migration control amid rising immigration.
It will also examine: the liability of invitees and immigrants for legal violations; how supporters, carriers and organisers of illegal migration are combated; how compliance with labour, language and employment laws is ensured. The commission will also assess whether Latvia can apply exceptions to EU migration rules and how the execution of Border Guard expulsion orders is monitored.
In late September, NA-initiated operations to detect illegal migrants began in Riga.
Deputy Mayor Edvards Ratnieks urged residents to report suspected gathering places of illegal migrants to the Riga Municipal Police.
However,
State Border Guard chief Guntis Pujāts previously said Ratnieks was exaggerating the scale of illegal migration in the capital.
Riga Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs (P) said illegal migration is not a priority for the municipal police and no additional resources will be allocated. Routine checks are already carried out by the Municipal Police, the State Security Service and the Ministry of the Interior. Kleinbergs has also voiced scepticism about the NA initiative.
Riga Municipal Police Chief Juris Lūkass emphasised that police will not chase people on the streets or demand documents from tourists. Instead, they will check locations where illegal immigrants may gather and verify individuals who may be residing illegally.
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