Chance to Survive Minority Rights in Estonia and Latvia
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Chance to Survive Minority Rights in Estonia and Latvia Moscow – Paris – Tallinn 2009 Estonia Th e study has been ordered at 2008 by CONTENTS the Institute of Democracy and Cooperation (Paris) and the Foundation for Historical Outlook (Moscow) Foreword ....................................................................................................... 6 Executors: Legal Information Centre for Human Rights (Estonia) ESTONIA ................................................................... 9 Latvian Human Rights Committee PART I. GENERAL ASPECTS OF MINORITY POLICIES ......................... 10 Edited by Vadim Poleshchuk 1.1. Basic Statistics .........................................................................................................10 1.1.1. Ethnic Composition of the Population ................................................10 Comparative comments by Aleksei Semjonov 1.1.2. Th e Problem of Statelessness .................................................................12 1.1.3. Major Religious Groups .........................................................................13 1.1.4. Refugees ...................................................................................................14 1.2. Basic Ethnic Policies ..............................................................................................14 1.2.1. Recognition of National Minorities .....................................................14 Chance to Survive: Minority Rights in Estonia and Latvia 1.2.2. Offi cial Integration Policy ......................................................................16 1.2.3. Language Policy ......................................................................................18 1.2.4. Citizenship Policy ...................................................................................23 Th e objective of the present book is to give the broadest possible description of the 1.3. Fundamentals of Migration Policy .......................................................................29 situations in Estonia and Latvia from the standpoint of the protection of minority rights 1.3.1. Legal Bases for the Stay of Aliens .........................................................32 and the prevention of discrimination. Th e authors present information on the realisation 1.3.2. Special Groups of Aliens ........................................................................36 of the civil and political rights of minorities; the positions of minorities on the labour 1.3.3. Illegal Aliens. Expulsion ........................................................................38 market and in the educational systems are examined in more detail, and several other 1.4. Fight against Ethnic, Racial, and Religious Discrimination on the State Level .....40 aspects of the economic, cultural, and social rights situation are also explored. 1.4.1. Legislation ................................................................................................40 1.4.2. Specialised Institutions Charged With Fighting Discrimination .....45 1.4.3. Discrimination in Public Opinion........................................................47 PART II. SPECIFIC ISSUES CONCERNING THE REALISATION OF CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS ............................................................ 56 2.1. Participation in Political and Public Life.............................................................56 ISBN 978-9949-18-818-5 2.2. Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Information, Freedom of Assembly ...........65 2.3. Freedom of Religion ...............................................................................................73 2.4. Access to Justice ......................................................................................................77 Cover photographs from www.rodina.lv, www.vesti.ru, A.G.Foto PART III. SPECIFIC ISSUES CONCERNING THE REALISATION OF © Foundation for Historical Outlook ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL RIGHTS ..................... 80 (Фонд исторической перспективы), 2009 3.1. Education.................................................................................................................80 3.1.1. Legislation ................................................................................................80 3 Chance to Survive: Minority Rights Estonia 3.1.2. Preschool and School Education. Th e 2007 Reform ..........................81 PART II. 3.1.3. Th e Public Opinion and the 2007 Reform...........................................88 SPECIFIC ISSUES CONCERNING THE REALISATION OF CIVIL 3.1.4. Higher Education in Minority Languages ...........................................91 AND POLITICAL RIGHTS ..........................................................188 3.1.5. Education for Adults. Lifelong Education ...........................................95 2.1. Participation in Political and Public Life...........................................................188 3.2. Access to Employment...........................................................................................96 2.2. Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Information, Freedom of Assembly .........194 3.2.1. Legislation ................................................................................................96 2.3. Freedom of Religion .............................................................................................201 3.2.2. Ethnic non-Estonians on the Labour Market .....................................97 2.4. Access to Justice ....................................................................................................203 3.2.3. Labour Market Discrimination ...........................................................104 Annex to Section 3.2. Access to Employment ...........................................................106 3.3. Access to Social Benefi ts and Welfare ................................................................111 PART III. 3.4. Access to Housing ................................................................................................113 SPECIFIC ISSUES CONCERNING THE REALISATION OF 3.5. Access to Health Care System .............................................................................117 ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL RIGHTS ...................204 3.1. Education...............................................................................................................204 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................121 3.1.1. Legislation Concerning Education in Minority Languages ............204 Annex. Th e list of Estonian acts mentioned in the report .....................................125 3.1.2. Preschool and School Education ........................................................207 References to chapter Estonia ....................................................................................128 3.1.3. Public Opinion and the 2004 Reform ................................................214 3.1.4. Higher Education in Minority Languages .........................................216 3.1.5. Education for Adults. Lifelong Education .........................................219 3.2. Access to Employment.........................................................................................219 3.2.1. Legislation ..............................................................................................219 LATVIA ................................................................. 145 3.2.2. Ethnic non-Latvians on the Labour Market ......................................219 PART I. 3.2.3. Labour Market Discrimination ...........................................................228 3.3. Access to Social Benefi ts and Welfare ................................................................229 GENERAL ASPECTS OF MINORITY POLICIES .......................146 3.4. Access to Health Care System .............................................................................230 1.1. Basic Statistics .......................................................................................................146 1.1.1. Ethnic Composition of the Population ..............................................146 1.1.2. Th e Problem of Statelessness ...............................................................148 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................231 1.1.3. Major Religious Groups .......................................................................150 Annex. Th e list of Latvian laws mentioned in the report .......................................235 1.1.4. Refugees .................................................................................................151 References to chapter Latvia .....................................................................................238 1.2. Basic Ethnic Policies ............................................................................................151 1.2.1. Recognition of National Minorities ...................................................151 1.2.2. Offi cial Integration Policy ....................................................................160 1.2.3. Language Policy ....................................................................................163 1.2.4. Citizenship Policy .................................................................................166 СOMPARATIVE СOMMENTS .............................250 1.3. Fundamentals of Migration Policy .....................................................................176 Part I. General Aspects of Minority Politicies .........................................................250