Racism in Latvia
Evaluations of the scale of racism
Evaluations of the scale of racism
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At the [ECRI](/wiki/European_Commission_against_Racism_and_Intolerance "European Commission against Racism and Intolerance") high\-level panel meeting in 2005, [Jean\-Yves Camus](/wiki/Jean-Yves_Camus "Jean-Yves Camus"), a political scientist, has described racism as "a feature of daily life" in a case study of Latvia.[The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse](https://www.peacepalacelibrary.nl/ebooks/files/COE_camus_en.pdf) High\-level panel meeting on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Paris, 21 March 2005\. ECRI: 2005\. — p. 44 
In 2006, the Latvian minister of foreign affairs said that "Latvia is no longer protected from expressions of racism, which is particularly noticeable on the streets of Riga during the dark hours of the day and during the dark months".Para. 92//[ECRI Third Report on Latvia, 2008](https://rm.coe.int/third-report-on-latvia/16808b58b3) Experts asked by the official newspaper *Latvijas Vēstnesis* in 2007, have considered racism not to be mass\-scale or typical for Latvia's society in general.[Rasisms un etnocentrisms. Nīdējamais un vēlamais](http://lv.lv/?menu=doc&id=152590)  [Latvijas Vēstnesis](/wiki/Latvijas_V%C4%93stnesis "Latvijas Vēstnesis") In 2007, the European Commission against racism and intolerance has noted that "the main concern of experts in the fight against racism is the widespread denial of the problem of racist violence both on the part of the public and the authorities".Para. 95//[ECRI Third Report on Latvia, 2008](https://rm.coe.int/third-report-on-latvia/16808b58b3)

In 2008, the minister for social integration [Oskars Kastēns](/wiki/Oskars_Kast%C4%93ns "Oskars Kastēns") has declared, that racism in Latvia is on a non\-dangerous level,[Kastēns: Rasisms Latvijā nav bīstamā līmenī](http://www.tvnet.lv/zinas/latvija/320776-kastens_rasisms_latvija_nav_bistama_limeni) and the chair of parliamentary human rights commission [Jānis Šmits](/wiki/J%C4%81nis_%C5%A0mits "Jānis Šmits") has said in a meeting with [ECRI](/wiki/European_Commission_against_Racism_and_Intolerance "European Commission against Racism and Intolerance") delegation, that hooliganism should not be confused with racism, which allegedly doesn't exist in Latvia (Šmits was contested by other participants of the meeting – leader of NGO *Afrolats* K. Ejugbo has called the problem of racism very acute, and expert from centre *PROVIDUS* M. Golubeva has called it to be more and more urgent), due to ethnic Latvians being a peaceful people.[«Нет расизму» или «Нет расизма»?](http://www.shtab.lv/main.php?w2=pressa&id=1929) *Rakurs*, 24 May 2008[Rasisms: risināma problēma vai apšaubāms tikums?](http://diena.lv/lat/politics/viedokli/rasisms-risinama-problema-vai-apsaubams-tikums) *[Diena](/wiki/Diena "Diena")*, 30 May 2008[Нацменьшинства снова пожаловались Европе](http://www.novonews.lv/index.php?mode=news&id=36636) The ombudsman has written in his 2008 report, that racially motivated attacks are "not rare".[Tiesībsarga 2008\. g. ziņojums – 39\. lpp.](http://www.tiesibsargs.lv/uploads/content/legacy/Tiesibsarga%20gada%20zinojums_2008.pdf)


What are the consequences of denying racist violence as a problem?