Foreigners in the domestic political agenda are good in that they can always unite around opposition to them. Especially since anti-immigrant rhetoric and practice currently dominate in the main allied states of Latvia, ranging from Trump to Merz.
In our republic, such initiatives are driven not only by the opposition, but also by the quite prime ministerial "New Unity" represented by the Minister of the Interior, Rihards Kozlovskis, who has brought up the issue at a government meeting – "On Improving the Legal Regulation of the Stay of Citizens of Third Countries in Latvia."
Risks Identified from Russia
The Latvian Action Plan for Human Capital Development, set until 2027, promises an aging population and a shortage of labor. Therefore, there is a need for "attracting skilled workers by improving immigration processes..."
"Alongside such positive aspects of this phenomenon as providing missing labor and attracting foreign talents with the increasing number of foreigners, there are also risks associated with violations of the conditions of stay and employment," the Ministry led by R. Kozlovskis acknowledges. "Abuse of migration conditions can pose serious challenges both for the host society and for the migrants themselves: it can weaken public trust in the immigration system, increase societal tension, raise risks of illegal employment, shadow economy, and security, as well as create problems for the migrants themselves, such as exploitation and discrimination risks. In this regard, it is very important to implement effective control measures..."
"Risks to public order and safety, as well as risks of cooperation with Russia, have also been identified," the Ministry of the Interior admits.
Who They Are. And Where They Come From
In the first half of 2025, the leading country for work permits in Latvia was Uzbekistan – 3,121 (for the entire year of 2024 – 6,048), India – 1,469 (2,095), Belarus – 1,365 (3,176), Ukraine – 873 (2,356), Tajikistan – 861 (1,556).
As can be seen, there is a complete dominance of former Soviet republics. By the way, in previous years in Soviet Latvia, there was not even close to such an influx of arrivals from Central Asia! Last year, 639 indispensable specialists arrived from Russia, this year – 0. The situation is also slightly diluted by Pakistan and the Philippines, but overall, the trend from the post-Soviet space is evident.
It should be emphasized that guest workers from Ukraine do not fall into the category of so-called "civil residents of Ukraine," who are granted special status in Latvia as those fleeing from war. If a person comes to us under a contract – then, as they say, that’s a different matter...
They Want to Be Truck Drivers and Champions
Under the Latvian flag, "third-country nationals" primarily work as truck drivers – in the first 6 months of this year, 3,645 people were registered in this profession (for the entire year of 2024 – 6,693).
Then come laborers – 1,076 (2,145), construction workers – 734 (1,816), truck drivers – 617 (1,139), workshop workers – 324 (531). That is, the simplest and heaviest jobs.
The situation is quite poor in this regard: "For the growth of low-skilled labor, there are special risks, as a sharp increase in such labor... can particularly increase societal tension, risks of illegal employment, and risks to the state’s social system..."
At the other end of the food chain are elite programmers – 130 (312) and professional athletes – 131 (249).
With the latter phenomenon, it is completely absurd, as high-performance sports are initially meant to reflect the health of the nation – both physical and moral, and to demonstrate its priority in competition with other states. By importing in such quantities, far exceeding the number of Latvia's teams at the Olympic Games – what does our country, represented by its various sports federations, want to prove?
Well, you have China at your disposal, which annually produces millions of talented athletes. Let’s accept them all and grant them Latvian citizenship, shall we?
Asian Business
When selecting employees, the Ministry of the Interior notes that employers often rely on intermediaries, employment agencies. Many of the agencies, simultaneously with obtaining a license for employment in Latvia, have also obtained licenses in several other EU countries and often work with the aim of employing people in the Schengen area, "thus increasing the risks of both illegal migration and human trafficking."
Therefore, this year, entrepreneurs have been mandated to cooperate with the State Employment Agency. The agency, in accordance with employers' requirements, selected 14,421 suitable candidates, however, in 9,081 cases, unfortunately, employers did not reach an agreement during personal communication...
In total, in our republic, 591 violations of the Immigration Law by guest workers were recorded in the first half of the year (last year – 924). By countries, Uzbekistan, Russia, and India lead.
Next year, administrative fines for universities will be increased for lack of control over foreign students, and by the end of 2025, a "unique identifier" will be introduced for all residents of "third countries" legally residing in Latvia. However, considering the skills of the programmers, it can be predicted that this digital combination will be forged – and sold.
