Estonia and Latvia: Citizenship, Language and Conflict Prevention
A Special Report by the Forced Migration Projects
As the Baltic countries have reemerged after the dissolution of the Soviet empire, evolving concepts of national identity are reflected in new citizenship and aliens laws. The promulgation and administration of these new legal regimes may, however, render certain groups vulnerable to discrimination and may result in significant international migration.This special report examines the economic, social and political dimensions of state-building efforts in Estonia and Latvia. The report suggests several specific measures pertaining to citizenship and language policy in order to promote inclusion and strengthen civil society—perhaps the optimal strategy to prevent the causes of forced migration.