“Go to Latvia and show our religion!” More and more residents of Pakistan and India want to come to Riga 0 8

Here is what Pakistanis and Indians who have visited our country, as well as those who are just interested in the possibility of coming to Riga, are saying about Latvia.

• "Is there anyone from Pakistan who has been to Riga and Latvia?" - asks user Dranime Fufu, and continues the post with the following words: "I have heard a lot of bad things about the Baltic countries, but all three seem very interesting. There is almost no immigration, so racism is widespread. SS marches take place every year in all three countries. One of the highest suicide rates in the world. Most people are closed off, communication is difficult. The growing danger of a Russian invasion has intensified xenophobia — in fact, the Russian minority living there is mistreated and blamed for all social ills. The weather is very depressing."

• Another user Yafar Nahk responds: "I lived for over 5 years in a much worse and less developed Eastern European country. Then I moved to Spain, and now I live in Germany. Bro, the less experience these Europeans have with people from Pakistan, India, etc., the less racist and xenophobic they will be towards you. Go to Latvia and learn — just make sure you understand: it will be a big change, and you will have to adapt to a new lifestyle. Respect the local culture and traditions — it means a lot to people. The point is, you may encounter some racism, but overall you will live much better and enjoy your stay there. There are quite a few non-Europeans living in the Baltic countries, especially Indian students."

Here’s what is being said in another thread on the Reddit forum — an Indian student is inquiring about work in Latvia: "I am an Indian student considering studying in Latvia. What are the approximate expenses for a student? Is it easy to find a part-time job in Latvia if you only know English?" Responses include:

• "Honestly, if you don’t have parents who can at least partially support you, you might end up in an illegal hostel with thirty other people from India or Pakistan. The final amount depends on the cost of accommodation, but I would say the absolute minimum is 600–700 euros per month," shared Lemony-Signal.

• "The only reasons to go study in Latvia: it’s relatively cheap and they accept almost everyone! Universities are desperately in need of students because their numbers are constantly declining due to population decrease. Twenty years ago, there were 130,000 students in Latvian universities. In 2023, there are 74,000. And this number is only maintained because the state pays for the education of about 40% of students. This gives us the opportunity to enter the EU, and then possibly move to a country with better prospects. You can come and get any illegal job, but the income is very low. The quality of education is just laughable (source — my 6 years of study at a Latvian university; if you don’t believe me, check the world university rankings — there is not a single Latvian university in the top 1000!)," user Shadow What shared. - "And if you are studying computer science and working a part-time unqualified job — you are essentially harming yourself. Because education in Latvian universities is worthless, it’s just a piece of paper. If you really want to learn something, you will have to study on your own. And computer science requires a huge amount of time."

• "Latvians are leaving for the UK and the USA, the population has been declining for more than ten years. "Brain drain" in Latvia is a reality. Do universities attract foreign students just for funding? I don’t know. The language barrier is really a problem, and having a normal conversation is difficult if you don’t spend at least a year learning the language. Latvians and foreign students study in different groups. Be prepared to learn Latvian without Duolingo. Also, Latvians don’t like small talk. There is an implicit association of 'black = bad'. And, to be honest, this is not only in Latvia — it’s throughout Europe, and maybe even the whole world. I don’t know. To all the good Latvians — don’t take it personally, nothing personal," shared Thinker.

• "I live between Italy and Latvia. I don’t know exactly how much studying in Latvia costs, but the cost of living in Riga is now comparable to typical student cities in Italy. At least in Italy, there is something called diritto allo studio — if you are poor, education is practically free, and you also get accommodation and meals. The downside? There are few jobs — both during studies and after (there are opportunities, but success stories are rare)," writes DefiantAlbatros. - "In Latvia, I noticed that foreign students who are not Latvians usually work as couriers for Bolt/Wolt, meaning they do food delivery. This doesn’t sound too bad until you realize that in winter, temperatures in Riga drop to -20 °C and even lower. Having lived in India before, I know for sure that this is a shock. Additionally, six months without sunlight greatly affects well-being: depression due to lack of vitamin D is very real. The law requires that people speaking Latvian work in customer service positions (except for Ukrainian refugees), which means — you can work at Burger King, but only 'in the kitchen', not with customers. I would advise going to study in Latvia only if you have parents who can occasionally send you money just in case. If you need to pay for your studies yourself or, worse, send money home — it’s not worth it. You will, of course, survive, but you won’t be able to focus on your studies. As for racism — in the center of Riga, it’s much better, but if you go to the outskirts, the situation is completely different. I know people from the Soviet times who are still quite racist (later I found out that even my dentist, who once went to Southeast Asia on a humanitarian mission, said unpleasant things to my Latvian husband while I was receiving treatment). I wouldn’t worry too much about racism: recently, I only remember one case of an attack on an Indian citizen, but even there it’s unclear whether the reason was racial."

• "Many Indians work at Bolt and Wolt. There are also many Indians in the IT sector in Latvia. Among the more complex, but still accessible options — numerous Indian restaurants," writes D.