Latvija in brief - 2011-01-13

The number of immigrants from Latvia heading to Ireland dropped last year to 3,134, according to the Irish Ministry of Social and Family Affairs, reports LETA. The figure is smaller than in 2009, when 3,919 Latvian immigrants registered for work in Ireland. It is also smaller than in 2008, when 3,727 registered, shows the Irish Latvian Web site ‘Baltic Ireland.’ 8,742 Poles, 7,810 Britons, 4,353 Lithuanians and 4,257 Brazilian immigrants also were registered for employment in 2010. Overall, 69,039 immigrants from other countries were registered in Ireland in 2010. According to Irish Ministry of Social and Family Affairs, 45,836 Latvian nationals were given Irish personal identification numbers (PPS) between June 2000 and December 2010. 2005 was the year with the most Latvian nationals registering in Ireland, with 9,328.

Swedbank revealed a survey showing 33 percent of Latvian citizens want to improve themselves and learn something new, while 29 percent want to improve their health and look, reports the Latvian Institute. The survey shows that 24 percent of citizens want to develop their professional skills. Also, 11 percent of respondents want to pay more attention to spiritual things like trying to find inquire about the sense of living, and their mission on this planet. Compared with the previous year, when 25 percent of respondents wanted to find a job, this year the most popular promise was to pay all debts. Men more than women have promised to find new job (21 percent of men versus 12 percent of women). However, women two times more often than men have decided to plan their budget more carefully, which might be connected with the women’s indicated wish for travel in 2011.

Interior Minister Linda Murniece (Unity) expects from the next State Police (SP) Chief Artis Velss that under his leadership, the police will become friendlier and more open to the people of Latvia, reports LETA. Murniece told the LNT morning show ‘900 Seconds’ that she wants the police to react faster, to provide even more assistance to the people and also to communicate with them. According to her, the police are currently more punishing than helpful and supporting. Velss’ task will also be to tackle such unpopular issues as, for example, violations within the police itself. Murniece believes that the former SP Chief Valdis Voins should not have retired at such an early age, though the SP cannot offer Voins what Riga Port Police can. The Cabinet of Ministers was to meet on Jan. 11 on Velss’ confirmation as the chief of SP.