During operations aimed at curbing illegal immigration, 16 undocumented migrants were apprehended in Riga, Deputy Mayor Edvards Ratnieks (National Alliance) told a press conference today.
In total, 38 people without legal grounds to stay in Latvia have been detained — a 65% increase compared to 2024.
Ratnieks stated that the goal is to ensure that there are no illegal migrants in Riga.
He stressed that legal migration is an even bigger problem. Therefore, the city plans to continue these inspections as well as intensify work on limiting legal migration.
According to Ratnieks, this requires three key steps: significantly reducing the proportion of third-country students, introducing strict Latvian language requirements in the service sector, avoiding “open floodgates” for family reunification.
As previously reported by LETA,
inspections to identify illegal migrants in Riga began in late September following an initiative by National Alliance politicians.
Ratnieks earlier promised that this would not be a one-day campaign, but regular, systematic work. He also urged residents to report any information or suspicions about locations where illegal migrants may gather to the Riga Municipal Police.
However, the head of the State Border Guard, Guntis Pujāts, has said that Ratnieks is overstating the issue of illegal migration in the capital.
Riga Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs (Progressives) has likewise stated that illegal immigration is not a priority for the municipal police and that no additional resources will be allocated to such operations. According to Kleinbergs, the Municipal Police, the State Security Service and the Ministry of the Interior already carry out routine inspections and ensure public safety. Kleinbergs has also openly expressed scepticism about the NA-initiated measures.
Riga Municipal Police Chief Juris Lūkass has also stressed that municipal police officers will not stop people randomly on the street or ask tourists for documents. Instead, checks will focus on locations where illegal migrants may gather and on individuals suspected of staying in Latvia illegally, he explained.
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