Question for written answer e-009327/2016 to the Commission Rule 130 Andrejs Mamikins (S&D)

Question for written answer E-009327/2016

to the Commission

Rule 130

Andrejs Mamikins (S&D)

Subject: Compliance of Latvia's Immigration Law with European law

Under Article 61(2) of Latvia’s Immigration Law, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia may decide to place a foreign national on Latvia’s list of personae non gratae. Despite the fact that, under Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, only members of the diplomatic corps may be declared persona non grata, Latvia’s Ministers for Foreign Affairs make large-scale use of the aforementioned article of the law and have already placed on the list both singers and journalists.

As Latvia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs also has the power to place such people on the Schengen Area ‘black list’, I would request an answer to the following question.

Is not this provision of Latvia’s Immigration Law contrary to European law, because under the Immigration Law:

- this list is not public, and people may discover that they are not permitted to enter Latvia only when they attempt to cross the border;

- people who have been banned from entering Latvia cannot appeal against the decision to place them on the list of personae non gratae, as the Minister’s decision is final;

- such people do not have the right to ascertain the reason why they have been placed on this list?

1112371.EN PE 596.255