CAT/C/LVA/CO/3-5
State party remains a country of origin for human trafficking for purposes of sexual and
labour exploitation (arts. 2, 10, 12, 13 and 16).
The State party should:
(a)
Take effective measures to prevent human trafficking, such as vigorously
enforcing anti-trafficking legislation and enhancing international cooperation, as well
as intensifying action against marriages of convenience that may result in human
trafficking;
(b)
Promptly, effectively and impartially investigate, prosecute and punish
trafficking in persons and related practices;
(c)
Increase the protection of and provide redress to victims of trafficking,
including legal, medical and psychological aid and rehabilitation, including the
introduction of specific rehabilitation services for victims of trafficking, adequate
shelters and assistance in reporting incidents of trafficking to the police;
(d)
Enhance specialized training for the police, prosecutors and judges,
migration officers and border police, including on the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress
and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing
the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, on effective
prevention, investigation, prosecution and punishment of acts of trafficking and
conduct nationwide awareness-raising campaigns, including through the media, about
the criminal nature of such acts.
Non-citizen residents
16.
While welcoming the significant reduction in the number of so-called “non-citizen
residents” from 29 per cent in 1995 to 13 per cent at present and the amendments to the
Citizenship Law introduced in May 2013 allowing for a simplified naturalization
procedure, the Committee is concerned at the large number of non-citizens residing
permanently in the State party (arts. 2 and 16).
The State party should:
(a)
Invite non-citizen residents to avail themselves of the simplified
naturalization procedure in the Citizenship Law, as amended in May 2013, and
facilitate the granting of citizenship to and naturalization and integration of noncitizens;
(b)
Enhance efforts to raise the awareness of parents whose children are
eligible for naturalization and consider granting automatic citizenship at birth,
without previous registration by parents, to the children of non-citizen parents who do
not acquire any other nationality, with a view to preventing statelessness;
(c)
Consider offering language courses free of charge to all non-citizen
residents and stateless persons who wish to apply for Latvian citizenship.
Situation of asylum seekers
17.
The Committee is concerned:
(a)
That persons seeking asylum may not enjoy all the procedural guarantees,
including access to legal counsel and the right to appeal negative decisions;
(b)
That the risk of refoulement may exist in cases where appeals of negative
decisions under the accelerated asylum procedure may not have a suspensive effect;
(c)
That the detention of asylum seekers is not only used as a measure of last
resort and that asylum seekers who are minors may be detained starting at the age of 14
(arts. 3 and 16).
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