The Latvian authorities are subjecting the Russian minority in the country to a Latvian language test to show their desire to integrate, and if they fail, they may face the danger of leaving the country.
Euro News reported that the Latvian government believes that these language exams are a kind of test of loyalty, of either loyal to Riga or to Moscow.
This measure reflects the state of tension with the Russian minority in Latvia, which has worsened since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian language is the mother tongue of about a quarter of the population of Latvia, and they are accused of not showing sufficient support for Ukraine, which has been facing a Russian invasion for more than 500 days.
This measure came into force after the invasion, and will apply to all residents who live in Latvia and have chosen Russian citizenship within the last twenty years.
Their number estimated at about 20,000 people.
Latvia, which has a population of just over 1.8 million people, issued a series of laws to limit Russia’s influence in the former Soviet country.
Riga hope the measures will deepen domestic cohesion against Moscow’s threats.
However, some experts worry the laws could dangerously deepen fault lines between Latvians and the large local minority of ethnic Russians.
In a previous report by Foreign Policy, the most significant changes are the imminent removal of the Russian language from the school curriculum, and the establishment of Latvian as the only language in which education transmitted.
The use of the Russian language has also banned at airports, train stations and many commercial establishments.
