Latvia's migration services have ordered 841 Russian citizens to leave the country by October 13 due to changes in the law that came into force in 2022, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
The details were revealed last night by the country's national television. The changes to the immigration law were adopted in response to Russia's war in Ukraine and tightened residency restrictions for Russians.
Around a quarter of Latvia's nearly two million population is made up of ethnic Russians, DPA reports. Latvia shares a land border with Russia.
To continue living legally in Latvia, Russian citizens must apply for permanent residence and prove that they speak Latvian on a daily basis. They are also subject to a security check.
The 2022 regulations affected about 25,000 people, 16,000 of whom have since been granted permanent residence permits and 1,000 temporary ones. Those who have not received them must leave the country. According to the authorities, 2,600 people have already left voluntarily. There have been 10 cases of expulsion.