More than 10 years ago, President Vejonis raised the issue of good parliamentary practice, urging lawmakers not to make fundamental (conceptual) amendments at the third (final) reading stage, which often change the entire essence of the bill.
175 Amendments
Typically, only clarifications and technical corrections are made in the third reading. Egils Levits, the successor to Vejonis, also urged deputies not to get carried away with radical proposals at this final stage of the bill's discussion... The current head of state shares the same position.
However, regarding the new bill - "On Immigration," - deputies and ministers decided to disregard this rule of good legislative practice! A record number of proposals - 175 - were submitted for the third reading!
Today, the Saeima's Defense and Internal Affairs Committee will begin discussing all these proposals. When it will finish is unknown.
Meanwhile, the legislative efforts of certain deputies - mainly from the National Alliance - have sparked protests from foreign investors. Deputies from the National Alliance proposed an amendment that prohibits citizens of third countries, including those arriving for studies, from registering economic activities, that is, working (part-time) as self-employed individuals. The aim of such amendments to the law is to effectively deprive foreigners of the opportunity to work as delivery couriers, for example, food delivery. It is known that couriers do not have employment relationships directly with Bolt and Wolt, but work as self-employed individuals.
Investors Warn
Foreign investors believe that if such restrictions are supported, they will seriously worsen the investment climate, and moreover, these restrictions may contradict EU directives. Foreign investors are puzzled: on what grounds are legally residing citizens of third countries in an EU country prohibited from using legal employment regimes, which include economic activities?!
"The proposed amendments very vaguely separate individuals who are legally present and working in Latvia from those who violate the conditions of stay or employment. In the council's opinion, legal work in permissible civil-law forms cannot be equated with illegal employment solely because of the model of cooperation used.
Such an approach does not correspond to the realities of the modern labor market, where flexible labor and cooperation models are widely used, including project work, digital and consulting services.
The planned changes could distort the market, increase administrative burdens, and unjustifiably limit companies' opportunities to organize their activities, especially in the fields of innovation, information technology, financial technology, and the creative industry," the statement from the Council of Foreign Investors in Latvia reads. However, the restrictions proposed by the National Alliance could very well be supported by the majority of the Saeima - alongside the right-wing opposition, they could also be supported by, for example, the "Green Farmers."
Expelled from University? Go Home!
It seems that the parliamentary majority will approve articles that tighten the rules for the stay of students from third countries in the country. Specifically: if they drop out of studies or are expelled from university for any reason, they will not be able to immediately enroll in another university - first, they must return to their country of origin and only then start the new procedure for obtaining a student visa.
Entry Only by Quotas?
Interestingly, deputies from the same National Alliance propose to temporarily halt the issuance of residence permits, although this would also contradict EU regulations.
An amendment by National Alliance deputy Janis Dombrovskis stipulates that the Cabinet of Ministers must suspend the issuance of new residence permits and long-term visas to citizens of third countries if the number of citizens from third countries exceeds 5% of the number of residents in Latvia. Deputies will also attempt to limit the issuance of visas and residence permits to individuals from certain countries - mainly Islamic ones.
It was his party mate Edvins Snore who proposed articles that provide for limiting immigration from certain countries. "The Cabinet of Ministers may establish restrictions on entry for employment or study for citizens of certain third countries. The Cabinet of Ministers may establish a maximum number of foreign citizens from these states who may enter Latvia for work or study during a calendar year," reads Snore's amendment, who reminds: "Latvia was founded to ensure the existence of the Latvian nation, not to become a small Uzbekistan or Russia."
Return of the Residence Permit Program
No less heated debate is expected over the proposals from the Ministry of Economics, which effectively allow the residence permit program for investments in real estate to be maintained. Specifically: if a citizen of a third country purchases real estate in Latvia - in large cities, the minimum transaction amounts to 250,000 euros - then they may be eligible for a temporary residence permit. Of course, this is after the applicant is vetted by Latvian special services. "Against" such a proposal from the Ministry of Economics may stand the National Alliance, some deputies from "New Unity," and quite possibly the "Progressives." It is important to note that this residence permit program in exchange for investments will not apply to citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus. Special services are skeptical about such a program for issuing residence permits for purchasing real estate.
Let us remind you that this program was first launched 25 years ago and allowed the state to earn hundreds of millions of euros! In recent years, after the conditions for obtaining residence permits were first tightened, and then the issuance of residence permits for this reason to citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus was prohibited, the program has clearly been declining, and today the count for such residence permits is only in the dozens.
