Daugavpils Regional Hospital (Daugavpils Reģionālā Slimnīca) has terminated employment relations with 49 employees holding citizenship of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus due to requirements of the Latvian Law on National Security prohibiting employment in critical infrastructure, Nashaniva.com reported, citing the hospital's press service and the LETA agency.

The law prohibits citizens of the RF and RB from holding positions involving access to information or technological equipment vital for the functioning of critical infrastructure without a separate permit from state security agencies.

29 junior and middle medical staff members and 20 maintenance service employees, including 11 retirees, lost their jobs based on the regulation that bars their participation in the operation of a critical infrastructure facility without special authorization.

The hospital has also sent a request to the Latvian State Security Service (VDD) asking for a review of the employment of seven medical workers whose cases are still being examined.

The Law on National Security in Latvia was amended in 2025 and came into full effect in the summer of the same year: the amendments prohibit citizens of Russia and Belarus from working, providing services, or managing critical infrastructure objects if this implies access to sensitive information or technological systems vital for its operation — exceptions are possible only by separate permission from national security authorities.

In parallel, the Saeima previously adopted measures expanding the national security framework, including a ban on real estate purchases by citizens of the RF and RB, as well as other restrictions aimed at reducing the influence of "hybrid threats," according to LSM data.

This dismissal process is not limited to a single medical institution. Similar legal requirements have been applied in other infrastructure sectors since June 2025.

A similar practice of limiting the role of RF and RB citizens in key sectors is observed across the Baltic states and the EU. For example, Estonia plans to ban RF and RB citizens without permanent residency from purchasing real estate, citing security considerations. In Lithuania, migration authorities have denied or revoked more than 1,700 temporary and permanent residence permits for citizens of the RF and RB, considering them a threat to national security, public order, or public health.

In Latvia, critical infrastructure is defined as objects, systems, or parts thereof essential for performing vital public functions and ensuring public safety, health, and the social well-being of the population.