Since it joined the EU in 2000, Latvia’s population has fallen by an incredible 18.2 percent, from 2.38million down to just 1.95million.
It has led television commentator Otto Ozols to warn the country could even “cease to be a nation” in 50 years time.
Diplomat Atis Sjanits told Politico this week: “The reality is that we are losing people — fast.”
Officials say the country still has jobs for people who want to work there. But they cannot stop citizens from disappearing further west in search of better pay and prospects.
In 2016, Express.co.uk revealed that unchecked migration in the EU was leading to ghost towns across smaller member states like Albania.
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But despite the warnings, Brussels has demanded the Schengen passport-free travel area should actually be extended.
Romania and Bulgaria, who both joined the EU in 2007, already have free movement across the union.
But the bloc’s move, announced last month, will see people in both nations able to travel across the EU without passport checks or border controls.
Dimitris Avramopoulos, the European Commissioner for migration, home affairs and citizenship, claimed it was “high time” the two nations join the passport-free zone, arguing it would make the 27-nation superstate more secure.
His comments came ahead of a European Council decision on the two states – along with Croatia who are expected to need to carry out more work before they are considered for accession by the EU.
His comments come ahead of a European Council decision on the two states – along with Croatia who are expected to need to carry out more work before they are considered for accession by the EU.
He added: “No matter how much work we collectively do the three institutions, in the end we will be judged on our success and failure based on only three or four topics. Schengen is one of them.
“For our citizens it is the symbol of the European Union itself.
“It is the most tangible example of European integration.
“It represents all the rights and benefits of being European, closely connected to freedom of movement and the notion of European citizenship.”