Russians In Latvia Must Take A Language Test To Avoid Being Expelled From The Country

 

Reuters: Russians take language test to avoid expulsion from Latvia 

RIGA (Reuters) - In a Stalinist skyscraper which dominates the skyline of Latvia's capital, dozens of elderly Russians wait to take a basic Latvian language test as a proof of loyalty to a country where they have lived for decades. 

Clutching red Russian passports, the participants, mostly women, read their notes for last minute revision, fearing they may be expelled from the Baltic country if they fail. 

Speaking Russian instead of Latvian has not been a problem until now, but the war in Ukraine changed the picture. Last year's election campaign was dominated by questions of national identity and security concerns. 

The government now demands a language test from the 20,000 people in the country holding Russian passports, mostly elderly and female, as the loyalty of Russian citizens is a worry, said Dimitrijs Trofimovs, state secretary at the Interior Ministry.  

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Update: Latvia's Russian diaspora face tests or expulsion (Reuters)  

WNU Editor: A quarter of the population is Russian speaking. Some have been living in the country for decades. This is ethnic cleansing, but the EU is silent, and with the exception of Reuters, the Western main-stream media is remaining silent.

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