Latvia orders first departures of Russians
In Latvia, the first Russian citizens who no longer have a residence permit have been ordered to leave the country. According to the Migration Service in Riga, six Russians have received a corresponding notice. Two of them have already left the country, said Maira Roze, head of the authority, on Latvian television on Friday. The other four must now do so within 30 days.

The background to this is changes to Latvia's immigration law, which were adopted in autumn 2022 in response to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Anyone who wants to continue living legally in Latvia with a Russian passport must now apply for permanent residence status and - with a few exceptions - prove Latvian language skills suitable for everyday use in a language test. Persons who have not provided proof in due time and who have not fulfilled the legal requirements for obtaining a residence permit must leave the Baltic EU and NATO country.

According to the authorities, a good 1,000 people are currently affected. According to available information, more than a fifth of them have already left Latvia via another EU state, Roze said. (APA)