On Thursday, 28 May, the Saeima deliberated on the Final Report of the Parliamentary Investigative Committee on the problems in national and European Union–level immigration regulations and in the work of enforcement institutions.
The Committee focused in particular on the entry and residence control of third‑country nationals in Latvia, the use of student status and its potential misuse to circumvent immigration requirements, employment practices, as well as the capacity of public authorities in the context of increasing migration. In the Final Report, the Committee has put forward over one hundred recommendations for legislative amendments and improvements in the operation of executive institutions.
The Committee concluded, among other findings, that a long‑standing “open‑door” policy has contributed to social tensions in several European countries with a high proportion of immigrants from countries with markedly distinct cultures and values. It also found that student status is often used formally to obtain a residence permit, while employment is the actual purpose of stay in Latvia. The Committee therefore proposed abandoning the “best practice” principle for higher education institutions and introducing uniform and strict liability requirements for all institutions seeking the right to invite foreign nationals.
The report also highlights risks related to delivery service platforms. It points to cases where the use of another person’s identity, renting of user profiles, and employment of persons without a legal right to reside in Latvia are made possible via platforms such as Bolt and Wolt. The business model of these platforms complicates effective enforcement of tax and labour rights, as well as compliance with official language requirements.
According to the report, quotas should be introduced for the total number of third‑country nationals eligible to receive residence permits or long‑term visas. The Committee notes that the responsible authorities are already at capacity under the current level of immigration, and that both increasing institutional capacity and introducing mechanisms to reduce migrant flows must be considered.
The Committee worked for six months and held a total of 24 sittings. It was chaired by Jānis Dombrava and included MPs Jānis Dinevičs, Gatis Liepiņš, Ingmārs Līdaka, and Edmunds Zivtiņš.
The Parliamentary Investigative Committee was established by the Saeima on 27 November at the request of 34 Members of Parliament in order to examine a number of issues, including the procedures for reviewing migrant applications and measures to prevent illegal immigration. The Committee also examined shortcomings in the legal framework for asylum seekers, the number of persons who can no longer be tracked by state authorities after receiving residence permits, the risks related to temporary residence permits and their misuse, and whether Latvia could apply exceptions in the implementation of EU legislation on migration.
The Constitution of Latvia stipulates that the Saeima must appoint a parliamentary investigative committee for a specific purpose, if requested by at least one third of the members of parliament.
Saeima Press Service