Latvian Prime Minister criticizes proposed immigration restriction plan

Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs has sharply criticized a proposed immigration restriction plan submitted by Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava of the National Alliance. Kulbergs described the move as “petulant kindergarten hysteria” and accused Dombrava of engaging in “loud and useless shouting” to manipulate voters rather than seeking professional results.

The Prime Minister argued that the document was submitted without necessary coordination with 14 different institutions, including various ministries and businesses. He characterized the proposal as a populist attempt to bypass cabinet procedures by presenting an uncoordinated document to the government.

Minister Dombrava stated that the plan, which includes over 70 points of action, aims to address the root causes of migration issues. The proposal includes measures to hold businesses accountable for schemes used to legalize immigrants and targets those involved in illegal human smuggling from other EU member states. The plan also suggests establishing lists of countries from which immigration should be restricted or limited to highly qualified specialists.

Due to disagreements among coalition partners, the review of the plan has been postponed. A special political session is scheduled for September 4 to attempt to reach an agreement on the document's content.