Latvian politician and chef: no need to fear migrants who want to work

Member of the European Parliament Vilis Krištopans, representing the 'Patrioti Eiropai' party, said on the TV24 program 'Preses klubs' that people should not fear immigrants who come to Latvia to work and build a life, though he stressed that migration flows need to be filtered.

Krištopans described an example of a Vietnamese family employed by an acquaintance of his. Both spouses reportedly hold higher education degrees, yet in Latvia they work on an assembly line, explaining that they want their children to have better opportunities in life. According to Krištopans, this worker works two shifts without complaint, which he said is proof there is no reason to fear such people.

An example from the restaurant industry

Chef Endijs Bērziņš, co-owner of the restaurant 'Vairāk Saules', added that in his own experience, foreign employees often stand out for their strong work ethic. He said his restaurant team holds an annual internal vote for best employee, and several years ago the title went to workers from Uzbekistan. Bērziņš said colleagues valued these employees not because of their background but because of their friendliness, willingness to help and reliability — they consistently showed up for shifts and always got things done.

Bērziņš stressed there is no reason to treat everyone arriving from other countries as a problem — people who work and try to build a life for themselves should not be feared, though migration flows should still be assessed and filtered.

Krištopans, for his part, emphasized that illegal migration should be judged separately, associating it with people who have never worked and never will, expecting social benefits without contributing anything in return.