The Latvian authorities have mandated that twenty nuns of the Riga Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Monastery, who are Russian citizens under the age of 75, confirm their proficiency in the Latvian language. According to amendments to the Immigration Law, which came into effect on July 18, 2023, Russian citizens holding EU permanent resident status must pass the language exam by mid-July 2025. This was reported by eadaily.com.

The requirement has sparked significant public debate, as noted by the news portal jauns.lv. Former Latvian President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga defended the nuns, calling their situation "inhumane." She emphasized that these women lead a reclusive monastic life, have minimal contact with the outside world, and use Church Slavonic in their services. At the same time, they continue their charitable activities, preparing and distributing food to those in need daily.

The authorities have taken a strictly legal stance. The State Agency for Education Development and the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) stated that they do not have the authority to exempt any specific groups from the language exam requirement. The OCMA spokesperson stressed that only the Latvian parliament has the power to amend the law.

Despite numerous appeals to revise the requirement, Latvian authorities have not considered any exceptions so far. If the nuns fail to pass the exam, their permanent resident status in Latvia may be at risk.