Riga's Vice Mayor Reported on the Number of Illegal Migrants Detained 0 2

Thus, a total of 38 individuals without legal grounds to be in Latvia have been detained, which is 65% more than in 2024.

Ratnieks noted that the goal of these activities is to ensure that there are no illegal migrants in Riga.

He emphasized that legal migration is an even greater problem. Therefore, it is planned to continue the initiated raids, as well as work to limit legal migration.

In his opinion, for this, firstly, it is necessary to significantly reduce the share of students from third countries, secondly, to introduce strict requirements for knowledge of the state language in the service sector, and thirdly, to prevent "open gates" for family reunification.

As previously reported by LETA, at the end of September, activities to identify illegal migrants began in Riga, initiated by politicians from the National Alliance.

Earlier, Ratnieks assured that this would not be a one-time action, but would become regular and systematic work. He urged Riga residents to report to the Riga Municipal Police if they know of places where illegal migrants might gather.

At the same time, the head of the State Border Guard, Guntis Pujats, previously stated that Ratnieks is exaggerating the problem of illegal migrants in the capital.

Riga Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs (Progressives) also pointed out that combating illegal immigration is not a priority for the Riga Municipal Police, and additional resources for this will not be allocated. He reminded that the Riga Police, the State Security Service, and the Ministry of the Interior conduct checks and ensure safety daily. Kleinbergs also expressed skepticism about the initiatives of the National Alliance.

The head of the Riga Municipal Police, Juris Lukas, emphasized that the police will not stop people on the streets and demand documents from tourists. Instead, places where illegal migrants may potentially gather will be checked, as well as individuals who may be in Latvia without legal grounds.