Latvia

Latvia is a country of origin, transit and destination of migrants. Over the past decade, its population has declined by nearly 140,000 persons due to both natural decline and emigration, reaching 1,860,575 at the beginning of 2025. Between 2014 and 2024, Latvia generally recorded negative net migration. In 2022, net migration turned positive for the first time in years, reaching 22,028, mainly due to reduced emigration and increased immigration, driven in large part by the arrival of refugees from Ukraine. 

Latvia has experienced several waves of large-scale emigration, including a major outflow after the 2008-2009 economic crisis, when around 190,000 people left between 2008 and 2011. In 2024, emigration remained notable: 18,937 people left the country, half of whom were Latvian citizens, followed by Ukrainian nationals (25.2 %) and  Russian nationals (11.1%). Out of all emigrants, 8,700 moved to EU countries and 4,900 (26 %) moved to EU candidate countries. Germany remained the top destination, receiving 2,200 emigrants from Latvia in 2024.

Recent emigration from Latvia is primarily driven by economic motives, including low wages, limited career opportunities, and the pursuit of higher living standards abroad. Social factors such as family reunification, education, and marriage to foreign nationals also play a role. While earlier emigration was shaped more by political circumstances, current outflows largely reflects the search for better employment opportunities and quality of life within the EU.

According to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, over 255,620 Latvian citizens lived abroad in mid-2025. Over 39.5% of them lived in the UK, followed by Germany (10.9%), Ireland (9.5%), and the US (7.1%). Meanwhile, UNDESA estimated that over 161,014 Latvians were leaving abroad in 2024, the majority of whom resided in Europe (146,581 or 91%).

From 2011 to 2021, annual immigration to Latvia generally moved within a relatively narrow band of roughly 8,000-13,000 arrivals, with small year-on-year increases and decreases but no major structural shifts. This stable pattern was interrupted in 2022, when immigration flow surged to 38,708, driven by the arrivals of displaced persons from Ukraine, who accounted for about 60% of all arrivals that year. After this exceptional peak, immigration dropped sharply to 15,629 in 2023 and further to 14,701 in 2024. Although still somewhat above many  pre-2022 levels, these figures indicate a return to the earlier, moderate trend. Since 2022, the share of Latvian nationals among immigrants has steadily increased flow, reaching around 61% in 2024. Among foreigners arriving in 2024, the largest groups came from Ukraine, Russia and India, albeit arrivals from the latter two have not exceeded a 1,000 persons each. In terms of the overall immigration stock – 220,471 persons according to 2024 UN DESA dataset – Russians (48.8%) formed the largest share, followed by Belarusians (17.7%) and Ukrainians (13.5%). Residence permits data reflects a similar picture: the number of all valid residence permits issued to non-EU nationals in Latvia has declined from over 336,000 in 2014 to some 249,000 in 2024, with Russian nationals holding around 15% of all valid permits.

The issuance of first-time residence permits also decreased in 2024. A total of 9,027 were issues,  11.5% fewer than in 2023 (10,193). Indian (24.3%) and Uzbek (18.4%) nationals received the largest shares. Of all first-time residence permits granted to non-EU nationals, 39.4% were issued for employment, 32.3% for education and 18.6% for family reunification.

In 2024, the number of employment rights granted to third-country nationals increased by 4.4% (19,825 compared to 18,983 in 2023). Most foreign workers were employed in land and pipeline transport (7,682), labour search and staff provision (2,120), building construction (1,695), computer programming and consultancy (938), specialised construction (773), manufacture of fabricated metal products, excluding machinery and equipment (691). In 2024, the highest number of rights to employment were issued to nationals of Uzbekistan (6,048), Belarus (3,176) and Ukraine (2,356).

At the beginning of the 2024/2025 academic year, 11,542 foreign students were enrolled in Latvian higher education institutions. Although the pervious academic year saw the highest number of foreign students to date, their share of the total student population remained stable at 15%. As in earlier years, India remained the leading country of origin with 3,158 students (27%), followed by Uzbekistan (1,118; 10%), Sweden (976; 8%), Ukraine (895; 8%), and Germany (748; 6%). The number and share of students from India continued to rise, increasing from 25% to 27% year-on-year.

The number of non-EU nationals refused entry at external borders declined from 3,625 in 2023 to 3,070 in 2024, most of whom were nationals of Moldova (34%). After record highs in 2022 (13,575) and 2023 (14,205), the number of non-EU nationals found to be illegally present in Latvia dropped sharply to 2,325 persons in 2024, reflecting the impact of enhanced border management measures introduced in 2023. The number of non-EU nationals ordered to leave has been increasing since 2021, as has the number of those actually returned, exceeding 2,000 each in 2024.

After a significant rise in 2023, when Latvia received 1,624 asylum applications, the number of asylum seekers halved in 2024, falling to 801. The main countries of origin of asylum seekers in 2024 were  Tajikistan, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Russia, and Syria. Of the 660 decisions taken in 2024, 28% were positive. 192 persons received international protection. Refugee status was granted to 104 persons and alternative status to 88 persons.

Latvia continues to offer temporary protection to Ukrainians, valid until March 2027. In 2024, 6,738 temporary residence permits were issued to the nationals of Ukraine. Amendments adopted on November 2024 extended the validity of such permits from two to three years and prolonged related assistance measures. By early 2025, 18,000 Ukrainian residents had not renewed their temporary protection status and consequently lost legal residence. In September 2025, Latvia hosted 31,150 beneficiaries of temporary protection.

Latvia remains both a source and destination country for human trafficking, with Latvian and foreign adults and children exploited in forced labour and sex trafficking domestically and abroad, particularly in Western Europe. Vulnerable groups include women with limited education, children from disadvantaged families or state institutions, unemployed adults, and migrant workers, especially from South and Central Asia. In 2024, authorities identified 38 trafficking victims, up from 22 in 2023, including four children and 26 foreign nationals. Recent reforms have strengthened the legal and institutional framework to combat trafficking, including enhanced protections for child victims, limits on repetitive interviews, mandatory  psychologist involvement, increased funding for NGOs, expanded awareness, specialised training for relevant professional, increased regional cooperation.

In 2025, Latvia continued reinforcing border management and migration governance with a strong national security focus. The Integrated Border Management Plan 2024‑2028, adopted in December 2024, prioritises preventing irregular crossings, improving return procedures, modernising border infrastructure and technology, and improving national-EU cooperation. Enhanced surveillance measures along the Belarusian border remains in place due to ongoing irregular crossing attempts. To mitigate security risks, Latvia extended entry and visa restrictions for Russian and Belarusian citizens until the end of 2026 and plans to introduce new pre-arrival requirements for third-country nationals without Latvian-issued visas or residence permits, who will need  to submit detailed travel information 48 hours before entry.

In 2024 and 2025, Latvia introduced several changes to its migration policy and regulatory framework. Amendments to the Immigration Law adopted in June 2024 granted authorities broader powers to restrict the ability of individuals or organisations to invite foreign workers in cases of legal violations and allowed the Cabinet of Ministers to impose visa restrictions in specific geopolitical contexts. New rules also established that third-country workers must demonstrate financial means equivalent to the average wage within their respective sector. Further amendments, approved in December 2024, introduced stricter obligations for employers recruiting foreign nationals. From January 2025, employers must justify vacancies to the State Employment Agency, assess local candidates proposed by the agency, and provide documented reasons for any rejections.

Several EU directives were transposed into national law in 2024, including provisions related to the Emergency Travel Document and regulations clarifying the rights of EU Blue Card holders and their family members to access social services and disability related benefits. To ensure the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, a high-level working group was established on 11 December 2024 to coordinate national efforts and oversee the development of Latvia’s implementation plan.

Latvia continues to actively engage in regional and international migration dialogues, being a member of the Prague Process, the Budapest Process, and the Khartoum Process.