If a person is an illegal immigrant — onto the plane and home, - political scientist 0 17

"Control measures regarding illegal migrants, if their only legal basis is the color of a person's skin, may violate the right to privacy and be discriminatory, thereby harming human dignity and reputation," stated the Ombudsman's Bureau.

Juris Rosenvalds, commenting on this statement, told nra.lv that every human life should be respected:

"No one should be immediately hit with a baton, but, if I understand correctly, we are talking about checks that are a sacred duty of competent authorities — to identify those who are in Latvia illegally. There are many who supposedly came to study, but in reality work as couriers. There are a lot of migrants who look different from us — you will immediately realize that this guy is from warm regions. But checking a person on the street solely based on their appearance is a violation. If it is necessary to determine the legality of their presence, all legally prescribed procedures should be used. But if the conversation is only about skin color — this creates suspicion towards everyone who looks different."

Rosenvalds gave an example: "Here is a mathematician of Indian descent, working in a Latvian company and doing excellently. What does his appearance have to do with it? But it should be noted that our border is quite... transparent. However, if we completely stop letting in migrants, then the question arises — how will this end for our economy? The question is not whether to let in or not, but what kind of control will be in place."

Rosenvalds is convinced that every person should be respected as an individual, as a living being. "But if a person is in Latvia illegally, then with respect and politeness, without batons — say: get on the plane and fly away! God forbid, if a migrant also commits an offense! Fortunately, we have not yet reached a situation like in Sweden. The Swedes wanted to lead all of Europe in tolerance, let in a huge mass of migrants, and they began to self-organize — and not in the best direction."

Rosenvalds hopes that the police and other relevant structures will be able to control the situation. "On one hand, strictness is important, on the other — we need to avoid physical violence, so that we do not lose respect for ourselves. The methods can be different, but they should not violate fundamental personal rights," believes Rosenvalds.