The Biggest Fears of a Latvian News Reader regarding Refugees [2015]

©Gatis Šļūka 'A View on Europe Today'

As it became clear earlier, due to the refugee crisis the EU made a decision to find new homes for 60 000 refugees in its member states. Latvia as one of them also agreed to contribute to refugee crisis and in two years time accommodate 250 refugees. However, Latvian society has demonstrated different attitudes to this event, including readers of news portals. Weirdly enough refugees haven't come yet - but an opinion about them and who they are is already formed. More stereotypical than real. One of the causes for that might be the fact that despite a large protest against the coming of unknown, refugees are going to settle in Europe, and that it is already decided without public consent. Therefore the reaction of European society in some parts is very harsh. However, it does not change the fact that the information that is rotating around is rather prejudicial and stereotypical. In this matter, I did a small research in which I went on exploring the characteristic traits of the future refugees in Latvia based on posted comments by readers on news portal DELFI [www.delfi.lv] and came up with TOP 7 stereotypical characteristics of future refugees in Latvia. The results do not represent the opinion of the whole Latvian society, but is still a [great or minor, decide yourself] part of it. I hope these findings will serve as a tiny bit of a help to the people that will be dealing with integration issues in tomorrow's Europe. If not then it's just a sarcastic answer to all today's bloated and superficial fears about refugees that are intensely spread around in social media channels. Enjoy!

The data for this research was collected on 5th September 2015 from five randomly selected recent news articles* about refugee issues on DELFI site that obtained more than 100 reader comments. Altogether for five articles 1028 comments were received, however only in around 20% or 207 comments the information suited the purposes of this research to understand the major cultural, religious, demographic and other traits of future refugees in Latvia. In addition, out of 207 comments 83 comments were used multiple times (maximum 4), since they covered more than one characteristic. The rest 80% of comments were not providing any descriptive information about future refugees or were addressing other issues not related to refugees, e.g. pitying politicians. The majority of comments that were used for creating the image of future refugees in Latvia were negative, contained hate speech, exaggeration, fabrication of facts and other forms of expressing dissatisfaction. However, there were also a few, that is 28 comments that were criticizing the major negativity among readers, but they were not considered eligible for this research. All the gathered information was classified in different categories - in total 17, however categories describing similar or related issues were combined to form TOP 7 stereotypical characteristics and according to these the future refugees in Latvia are:

1. Dangerous criminals with a strong affiliation to Islam that will most probably be also imposed on Latvians (89 comments, 2 categories)

©Ron McGeary

According to readers the future refugees in Latvia are first of all criminals, terrorists and hooligans that are most probably also members of popular terrorist organisations. Beside that, readers were aware of a very close relation of refugees to Islam and its radical groups. From 56 comments in which readers shared their concern about criminal contingent coming into Latvia in form of refugees, in 18 comments a clear relation to Islam as the major refugee religion and past disastrous activities of its radical groups - like murders, explosions, attacks, bloodshed and death - was something that awaits Latvia with the arrival of refugees. The worst scenarios were played out, like, for example, reader Gaudy was convinced that 'They [refugees] will turn churches into mosques, rape white women, burn cars, request to form Sharia law, sell drugs and blow up public transport and people'. Similar opinion was shared by reader Prognoze that was convinced that 'it's the beginning of robberies, racketeering, people being stabbed with a knife and the beginning of explosions'. Otherwise there was a part of readers that did not emphasize Islam as a logical ingredient of the value system of these 'future criminals', but were convinced that future refugees in Latvia will be thieves, less vandals or rapists, although this notion was also present among the readers' worries. For example, reader muļķīt atslābsti concluded that 'if 500 Euros is not enough for that 'parasite', he'll just put knife to your throat and ask for the sum he's missing'. Similarly, reader Peter envisaged that soon after the refugees will arrive 'in fall/winter you'll see already the first crops of criminal behavior on TV. Without an understanding of a language, environment, without any possibilities to work here - there are not many options left to sustain yourself '.

Next to worries about criminal, partly Islamic contingent entering Latvia readers were also concerned about Islam taking over Latvia and making it the major religion in the country - 33 comments referred to these worries. For example, reader Dusmīgais concluded that 'if there are 250 refugees, there will appear 10 times more overnight and they will deject Latvia and its nation with Islam'. Similarly, reader onkulītim no Tukuma was concerned that 'they [future refugees] will never forget and leave behind their Islam but they will bring it to Latvia'. On the contrary reader J in a rather calmer way emphasized her larger consent to Christianity by saying that 'I'm not racist or nationalist, but I want to raise my children and grandchildren in Christian and not Islamic Europe'.

2. Loafers that look only for economic benefits and will enjoy them on Latvian tax payers' account. However, this situation might change in the future and refugees might outcompete Latvians in the job market (88 comments, 5 categories)

©Gatis Šļūka 'European Money'

Side by side with the criminality as a cultural trait of future refugees in Latvia also stands laziness - this notion was the main concern in 29 comments. Readers were convinced that these people are not used to working at all, for example reader Antons was convinced that 'these refugees do not want to work, they just smoke pot, make children and wars'. A similar opinion was shared by reader kasis that 'these [refugees] have never worked in their lives. They're just used to get humanitarian help and good allowances'. Meanwhile reader Igors Trubko shared his observations of the situation in other countries and aligned them with Latvia by saying that 'these refugees will never work - look at the situation in Spain, Italy, France - they all like parasites live on allowances only'.

Alongside with laziness of future immigrants readers were convinced that future refugees in Latvia only seek for economic benefits and allowances in their host country - 11 comments referred to this notion. Reader Austras_koks was assured that 'only economic adventurers go to Europe, and they're not planning to return to their home countries, instead they use the political situation in their home countries as a cover to get through'. With a similar suspicion some readers questioned the poverty level of future refugees in Latvia, e.g. reader Armins Argalis was confused about 'where do these 'poor' people get the thousands [money] to reach the promised land Europe?' Similarly reader Sazvērēstība shared its observations that 'refugees do not look poor or hungry or sick and each of them has at least 500 Euro to buy a train ticket to other countries'.

With a similar heaviness as to the frustration about the lazy future immigrants was addressed the fact that these refugees will get their allowances from tax payers' money and that these allowances are larger than pensions of the retired or in some cases also salaries of the working people - 28 comments were dedicated to this issue. For example, reader šoks compared his mother's pension and refugee allowance - 'my mother's monthly pension is 130 Euros after working all those long years in a collective farm, on the contrary the government is ready to give 265 Euros to a refugee'. Similarly reader Eriks Zigurs expressed his frustration over this issue by saying that 'these refugees will get more in allowances than those Latvian people that have worked for this country all their lives. Where is the justice?' Reader Inga also was convinced that 'they [refugees] will never work. And why I, the tax payer, should provide support to them? I have to feed my own children'.

Country's insolvency along with the allowance issue and laziness of the future immigrants was addressed in 14 comments, to which these new events would be an extra burden for already weakened state's economy. For example, reader nācija ir apdraudēta stated the fact that 'Latvia is economically, socially and demographically poorest country in the EU'. Similarly reader Tūdaliņš predicted that '[refugees] will be gone in less than a year! And not because we are inhospitable, mean, secretive and racist, but because we ourselves do not know how to survive in the show called 'Life in Latvia''. Whereas reader .[dot] compared financial condition of Latvia and Germany, and concluded that 'Germany will take 12 000 refugees, we will take 250 - it is a proportional number in relation to the number of inhabitants per country, but the question is are our country's financial abilities comparable with Germany's?'

Only a small part of readers - in 6 comments - were looking forward in the future and predicted that future refugees in Latvia could outcompete locals in the job market, mostly in low-qualified jobs - less in more profitable businesses. For example, reader kāda ģimene, dzimta vai viss kišlaks wrote that 'all the street sweepers' and trash collectors' vacancies are taken, that's a huge deficit already [in Latvia]. Our own people have a low education and have no job.' Similarly, reader Ari pointed out that 'we don't need a cheap labor. We ourselves already have a difficulty to find a job.' On the contrary reader Replica was convinced that 'with our low prices, refugees will live here like kings and will also refer to their white slaves [locals] the same way'.

3. An Equivalent to Russian speaking immigrants that settled in Latvia during Soviet times. They will not be able or want to integrate, instead will request more comfort and rights in the future (48 comments, 3 categories)

As true pessimists with scars from the past that are being repeatedly ripped up so that they don't heal - also in the case of the future refugees in Latvia, the readers addressed the failures and the fouls with the other migrants in not so far away past to predict failures and fouls with the future ones. 32 comments were dedicated to reflecting on the past and predicting in reader's B.Ļeģ. words that 'history is repeating itself' or it's going to. Reader Mosties also made the audience aware of the fact that 'Russians came a long time ago, but are still not gone back'. Similarly dreadful comparative scenario was offered by reader iz Mossad by saying that '60 000 liberators came here and freed the Baltic states in 1939 and then they were expelled by other 'liberators' in 1941. Then in 1945 the first liberators expelled the other ones and began their robberies, rapes, murders, and so on.  That's how they're still living here up to this day and supplement their inexhaustible human resources from Russia for 30 years already'. Recalling the present situation in Latvia in the Soviet context reader vecis observed that there exists a forced possibility of learning a new language with arrival of future refugees, however 'this 'tumbu-jumbu' language is not harder than mother Russia's language which we were forced to learn and these days without it you can't get a job in Riga'. On the contrary, reader Vilnis was more optimistic and saw an opportunity in this situation, as he wrote - 'this will be a great opportunity to compare Africans with Soviet migrants'. A part of readers also referred to future failure of integration with regard to unsuccessful integration of the Soviet migrants today, for example, reader sisi was convinced that 'a country that is overcrowded with those wearing sweatpants and not willing to speak in the state's official language has not right to overcrowd itself even more with those that wear hijabs and use every opportunity to spread their Islam customs with swords'.

© Peter Schrank

A smaller part of readers - only 10 comments - were certain that integration in practice is not possible, even without putting references to Latvia's integration failures of the past. For example, reader Artus was assured that 'they [refugees] do not want to integrate. They just live in their ghettos and that's where criminality flourishes'. Similarly reader Inta observed that 'they [refugees] are only interested in their own already established communities in the EU'. Meanwhile reader Arno was convinced that 'people talk about integration only for the show, because it's well-known and proven that a sufficient integration happens only in 3 generations (in around 60 years): e.g. only the grandchildren of today's refugee living in Germany will speak and act like Germans [..] Integration in the EU's understanding is just a fictional and primitive process in which it is assumed that by learning a language a person will actually give up its own language, culture and religious customs and will take up the regulations and rules of the country they inhibit now'.

At last only a very small part of readers - 6 comments - were convinced that future refugees in Latvia quoting reader Muh ILzei will be 'nice only as long as they're not too many, but when larger numbers will settle, they inevitably will start dictating their own rules and their own understanding of the world order'. Similarly reader go go was sharing his frustration on this issue by saying that 'it's already enough that homosexuals are requesting more rights, now there will also be refugees with their religions, customs and requests'. On the contrary reader Jančuks was worried that 'soon enough they [refugees] will have a lot of children, who will request more human conditions, much better than the locals have, and then they [refugees]will handle their complaints already on European level'.

4. Very family-oriented [with large families], as well as very fertile and sly - they will manage to raise their number in Latvia either in a process of natural fertilization or by legal/illegal migration (43 comments, 3 categories)

Readers were most concerned that future refugees in Latvia have large families, and even if they don't - they will be able to 'produce' such in a short period of time, since the readers were assured of their supernatural abilities to create new lives - 25 comments were received in these two categories. For example, reader arča was convinced that 'a family for these Muslims is quite often around 50 people'. A similar opinion was shared by reader sisi that claimed that 'every fool knows that their [refugee] families start from 50 members'. Whereas reader skaisti counted that 'if they have 3 children in one family on average, then we should actually account for taking 250 times 5 refugees in Latvia'. Similarly, though without counting the numbers reader Dzelksnis concluded that 'actually Latvia will take only 3 refugees, but each of these refugees has the right to invite other 300-500 closest relatives! No fooling around - we're told that there will be only 250 refugees, when it's clear that hundreds of relatives should be accounted for too'.

© Paolo Lombardi

While speaking of supernatural fertility and ability to create new lives in enormous speed readers were convinced, quoting reader Auza, that 'they [refugees] reproduce as fast as cockroaches do'. Reader veiksmes stāsts came to a similar conclusion that 'this year we'll take 250 refugees and next year we'll provide already for 500, they reproduce very well'. Beside the shared admiration of  the high level of fertility among future refugees in Latvia some readers were also discussing measures to limit these abilities, for example, reader westu wrote that 'if these refugees won't be sterilized before coming to Latvia, they'll continue reproducing faster than fleas do'. On the contrary reader sexigais@kāmis suggested that 'reproducing for them [refugees] should be forbidden by law'.

Another issue that came up among the people discussing the future refugees in Latvia was the worry that these 250 assigned refugees is not an optimal number of refugees and that this number will raise in the upcoming years - 18 comments were dedicated to this issue. For example, reader cilvēks_trijicetrinieki claimed that 'these 250 refugees is just a beginning which seems not a lot, but it is just the beginning, I hope everyone understands that?!'. Reader Latvijas dēls also foreseen that ' [there will be] 200 blacks a year [..] the most important thing is to let them in, so to say - make the first step, as that doesn't happen at once... and then they'll find the way to get their brothers, sisters, friends of friends etc.'. Similarly reader gatojurko counted that with a family or without 'in 10 years time there will be already 2,5 million refugees [in Latvia]'.

5. Going to threaten or even destroy Latvians as a nation. There's also a large possibility that these immigrants will suppress or change the existing culture of the locals, besides they have a few dreadful cultural features (28 comments, 2 categories)

Readers were very concerned that Latvians as a nation will be destroyed once 250 refugees enter Latvia - 14 comments were dedicated to discussing this awful scenario. For example, reader izdzīvošanas jautājums was convinced that 'Latvians as a nation (only 1 million!) will be wiped out'. Meanwhile reader cilvēks_trijicetrinieki was explaining that 'their [refugee] amount will be abnormally higher than the number of locals in particular countries that will take refugees, especially in Latvia [..] they will certainly outnumber Latvians'. On the contrary reader holokausts pret latviešiem was assured that this refugee crisis is a planned operation and a part of conspiracy by saying that 'Latvians do not have to die by saving refugees from Africa and Asia to follow the scenario of Satan's synagogue [New World Order]'. Whereas some readers connected nation's extinction with the massive emigration of locals in the past 10 years that would also serve refugees as a privilege to destroy Latvians as a nation. For example, reader Krišs was convinced that 'Latvians are expelled from the country with economic methods to free the space for newcomers - that is like digging a grave for Latvians as a nation'. Similarly, reader Adele observed that 'there are so little of us left and this emptiness now will be filled with foreign 'guests'... we are headed towards accelerated self-destruction'.

A part of readers were not so much concerned of possible extinction of Latvians, as they were about the possible and inevitable assimilation of future refugees in Latvia with the locals, possibly by forcing it on the locals - 14 comments were shared on this issue. Readers most of all were concerned about female locals whose safety might be endangered in the future and they won't be able or want to resist the new inhabitants of Latvia. For example, reader es was worried that 'they [refugees] will take all the local women by force, because no one can do anything to them and they know it!!!' Similarly reader Santis Krīgers had a concern that if 'Africans will be free to move around, the sexual intercourse with locals is inevitable', Whereas reader demogrāfs concluded that there is a reason to worry about assimilation of refugees with the locals because 'what will happen when the little kiddies of happy families will grow up? They'll also want to have sex. The choice between their own people will be not very large, so they'll go on the streets and will start groping Latvian girls'. While reader ff was assured that 'it's better if they come already with families instead of making families with the locals'.

Among other comments was a larger consent about entry of a new culture, religion and understanding of life in Latvia which in reader's Inga words 'will be another huge problem for Latvia'. Similarly reader Anita Zazite wrote that 'the black race and Islam with all its features are pushed upon us, and these things are unfamiliar to our nation'. Whereas reader jo vairāk cilvēku was more pessimistic and predicted that 'in a while we will have the same lifestyle as is there [refugee's country of origin]'.

6. Distributors of different diseases from exotic regions as well as some epidemic diseases (7 comments, 1 category)

© Dave Granlund

One of the main concerns among readers in this category was the possible prevalence of Ebola virus that future refugees in Latvia would carry with them to Latvia, however it was not the only disease readers referenced to. For example, reader Doma wrote that 'we should check beforehand [..] the health status of these immigrants, e.g. AIDS, hepatitis, malaria, Ebola, tuberculosis etc.? [..] Would you let in your apartment an unexpected Muslim chauvinist with some incurable disease?' Similarly reader Santis Krīgers raised a question whether 'they [refugees] will be checked for the most dangerous viruses or not? [..] The country should take care that HIV, so popular in Africa, doesn't get here'. On the contrary reader Karogs rokā concluded that 'we don't have to mix up the races and die from God knows which epidemics'.

7. Racists (2 comments, 1 category)

Only a tiny part of readers were concerned that future refugees in Latvia are intolerant and discriminating against people with other skin color, for example, reader Lats was worried 'if no one has noticed yet that there is racism and genocide against the white race?' Similarly worried was reader Arcani sharing his thoughts on the meaning of skin color - 'Don't tell me that [skin] color is not important. They [refugees] are even larger racists than some of us. [..] It's the fault of  the color of my skin that I get the promotion. [..] as soon as white skin color get something more than the black one does, the black one complains that it's being discriminated'.


*Comments used for the content-analysis from articles:
1. ES ministri līdz galam nevienojas par bēgļu uzņemšanu; Latvija paliek pie savas nostājas - jāuzņem 250 (20.07.2015, 189 comments) [EU ministers do not have the final agreement regarding refugees; Latvia keeps its position of accommodating 250]
2. Bēgļi Latvijā : ikviena valsts vēlas uzņemt bēgļus, kam ir sava ģimene, saka ministrs (21.07.2015, 134 comments) [Refugees in Latvia: Every country wants to take refugees that already have families, says minister]
3. Pirmos bēgļus Latvijā varētu uzņemt šoruden (21.07.2015, 196 comments) [First refugees in Latvia expected this fall]
4. Saukli 'krievi nāk' nomainījis 'bēgļi nāk', satraucas Āboltiņa (21.07.2015. 169 comments) [Phrase 'Russians are coming' is being replaced by 'Refugees are coming', politician Āboltiņa is concerned]
5. Bēgļi: Kas notiek valstīs, no kurām viņi nāk (12.08.2015. 338 comments) [Refugees: What is happening in the countries they come from]