A pensioner deported from Latvia spoke about the attitude of citizens towards the Russian language

Latvian citizens did not speak Latvian, and almost all communication was conducted in Russian. On October 14, 74-year-old Russian citizen Grigory Yeremenko, who was deported after 40 years of living in the republic, told Izvestia.

"No one was talking there (in Latvian. — Ed.) the Latvians themselves. Russian Russian and Latvian were the documentation, but most of the communication <...>, especially Riga, was in Russian only," he said.

According to Yeremenko, after changing his passport, the Latvian authorities deprived him of his pension and permanent residence. The man added that the reason for this was his inability to pass the Latvian language proficiency exam. He noted that he had tried to defend his rights, sent statements, but had not received a response. Yeremenko stressed that this deportation is necessary in order to "expel Russian speakers."

According to the man, such an attitude of the Latvian authorities towards those who have lived in the republic for many years and are currently "not needed" is "natural fascism" and "Nazism". Yeremenko added that this had never happened before. In addition, according to him, the attitude towards citizens of the republic and foreigners differs significantly, in particular, this applies to medical services.

"If you are a citizen of Latvia, then medicine is cheaper, and if you are not a citizen, it is twice as expensive," the man concluded.

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On October 2, Jelgava Duma deputy Andreas Pagors announced that the Latvian authorities had deported 74-year-old Russian citizen Grigory Yeremenko. According to Pagors, a man who lost his residence permit in 2023 lost the opportunity to receive a pension and register at his place of residence, which means he could receive assistance from the local government.

Later, on October 10, the Politico newspaper reported on the forced deportation from Latvia of over 800 Russians by October 13 due to non-compliance with migration regulations. It was noted that Latvia tightened the immigration law for Russian citizens in 2024.

Because of this, in order to obtain the status of a long-term resident of the European Union (EU), it became necessary to apply and demonstrate proficiency in the Latvian language at A2 level. The republic also requires to undergo a security and background check before June 30, 2025.

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