Riga residents on immigration: caution over control and skepticism toward politicians

Two and a half months after a government sometimes described as temporary took office, Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava (National Alliance) named restricting immigration one of his priorities on his very first day in the post. To find out how relevant the topic is to ordinary residents, Delfi went out to talk to people on the streets of Riga.

Different moods in different neighborhoods

In Mežaparks, on a weekday afternoon, most people encountered were on various types of wheels and in a hurry, declining to talk. At a recreation spot by Lake Ķīšezers, however, a woman agreed to share her views. She said she has encountered immigrants on the street, through food delivery services, and at Riga Airport.

She explained that while she personally has not had negative experiences, people close to her have — describing unwanted, persistent attention from teenage girls and men around 25 years old who reportedly did not take no for an answer. The woman, who currently lives mainly in Scotland, a country with a large immigrant population, said she hopes immigrants might treat Latvia only as a transit country. In her view, things will remain fine as long as newcomers respect Latvia's culture, laws and religion. She believes immigration should be more strictly controlled, since not everyone arrives with good intentions, and said this issue will be one of the deciding factors in how she votes in the upcoming elections.

In the city center, near Miera Street, people — particularly younger residents — were more willing to engage. Some said they could not say for certain whether they had personally encountered immigrants, since they had not previously considered the question, but assumed it was likely given everyday life on the street.