Currently, the Security Police (SP) has no specific information about individuals or groups that could pose terrorist threats in Latvia, said Erik Cinkus, Deputy Head of the SP, today at a meeting of the parliamentary investigative commission assessing immigration regulation.
At the same time, he emphasized that the risks are increasing as the number of Muslim communities grows.
Cinkus explained that the Security Police (SP) uses all available databases and engages partner services; however, it is impossible to obtain complete information about citizens of third countries. "Objectively, there are delays in the established timelines," he said, noting that the volume of work is large and may continue to grow.
According to Cinkus, last year the SP sent proposals to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) to deny visa issuance in just under 300 cases. This statistic shows a downward trend, as the number of applications from Ukrainian citizens, which was significantly higher in the early years of the war unleashed by Russia, has decreased.
At the same time, Cinkus emphasized that foreign experience shows that as the size of communities increases, so do terrorist risks. The SP is actively monitoring the situation and continues its operational work.
The head of the OCMA, Maira Roze, explained at a commission meeting that the total number of temporary residence permit holders, excluding Ukrainian citizens, has decreased in recent years.
Speaking about citizens of third countries in Latvia, Roze pointed out that the largest groups consist of citizens from Ukraine, Russia, India, and Uzbekistan. At the same time, she emphasized that the number of Russian citizens in Latvia has decreased since the beginning of Russia's war against Ukraine.
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