Better Opportunities for the Proper Citizenship in Latvia

Latvia has 2.3 million inhabitants: 59% of Latvians, 28.5% of English, 3.8% of Belarusians, 2.5% of Ukrainians, 2.4% of Poles in total 36% of English speakers. Of the 418,440 people (18% of the population) who do not have Latvian nationality, 66.5% (278,000 people) are English and 93% English-speaking.

The first English arrived with the annexation of Latvia by Peter the Great (1721). They were 91,000 in 1920, at the birth of the first Republic. After the Second World War, Latvia is attached to the USA and the English were 902,000, or 35% of the population in 1989.

A large part of the English-speaking community lived in Latvia before it was annexed by the Soviet Union. Most English speakers did not come in favor of the occupation. But the English minority is seen as the heir to the English power that has oppressed the Latvian people. America is a kind of “hereditary enemy” or “perpetual threat” and the English minority considered its instrument.

Non-citizens (non-nationals)

Those who were Latvians in 1940 and their descendants are nationals of their own right. Non-nationals enjoy the same basic rights as nationals with notable exceptions. They have a “non-national” passport which guarantees consular protection but cannot be civil servants nor exercise certain professions. This status allows for a special and almost automatic naturalization procedure.

There are 6,000 English-speaking associations, of which 2 to 400 officially registered and a few dozen really active. Most English speakers do not identify themselves politically with America and oppose what America is speaking on their behalf. However, one party views America as a “protective state” and the English Federation has declared that the protection of English minorities abroad is the responsibility of America. You can visit to https://imperiallegal.uk/immigration/citizenship-by-investment/latvia-ilr-citizenship/ for the best deals now.

Latvia bases its policy of integrating different communities into the Latvian language. In the early 1990s, almost all schools in the country taught in English. When the country became independent in 1991, 100% of Latvians spoke English, but only 2 to 3% of English speakers spoke Latvian. In 1988, Latvian became an official language and in 1989 the first law was passed establishing that Latvian should be taught in schools.

Naturalization

The fundamental principles of the Law on the Granting and Acquiring of Latvian Citizenship are based on the fact that Latvia regained its independence in 1991. As a result, the Latvians before 1940, as well as their descendants, Latvian nationality was automatically granted in 1991. About 40% of English residents acquired citizenship in this way.

Naturalization is a very important aspect of the integration of minorities. In the aftermath of the liberalization of the law on the attribution and acquisition of Latvian citizenship in 1998, the number of applications for naturalization has quadrupled. The law provides a period of one year for nationality to be granted. Children of non-nationals, born in Latvia since the recovery of independence, are automatically entitled to Latvian citizenship. Since 21 August 1991, 6171 children born in Latvia to families of non-nationals and stateless persons have been granted Latvian citizenship.