The State Security Service on individuals and groups that could create a terrorist threat to Latvia

Currently, the State Security Service (SSS) does not have information about individuals or groups that could pose a terrorist threat to Latvia, said the Deputy Head of the SSS, Erik Cinkus, today at a meeting of the parliamentary commission assessing immigration regulations.

At the same time, he noted that the risks are increasing as the number of Muslim communities grows.

Cinkus explained that the State Security Service uses all available databases and involves partner agencies; however, it is not possible to obtain complete information about third-country nationals promptly due to the large volume of work.

According to Cinkus, last year the State Security Service issued nearly 300 opinions to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) recommending the denial of visa issuance. This statistic demonstrates a downward trend, as the number of applications from Ukrainians has decreased significantly compared to the early years of the war.

Cinkus assured that the State Security Service is actively monitoring the situation and continues its operational work.

The head of the OCMA, Maira Roze, reported at the commission meeting that the total number of recipients of temporary residence permits, excluding Ukrainian citizens, has decreased in recent years.

Speaking about third-country nationals in Latvia, Roze noted that the largest groups consist of citizens from Ukraine, Russia, India, and Uzbekistan, and the number of Russians has decreased since the beginning of Russia's war against Ukraine.

As reported, in December, the Saeima appointed members of a parliamentary investigation commission aimed at identifying problems in immigration regulations at the national and European levels and in the work of executive bodies. The commission is headed by Janis Dombrava (National Alliance).

The commission was established at the proposal of 34 Saeima deputies to study a number of questions: how applications for immigration are assessed and what measures are taken to prevent illegal immigration, what problems exist in the legal regulation for individuals seeking asylum, how many people disappear from the sight of government authorities after obtaining residence permits, what are the risks associated with short-term residence permits and their potential abuse, and whether Latvia has the ability to apply exceptions to EU migration law.