Latvia is home to one of Europe’s largest populations of non-citizens—individuals who aren’t stateless or foreign but are former Soviet citizens born in a country that no longer exists. Today, around 280,000 people in Latvia hold this complex status. Representing about 12 percent of the population, these non-citizens face numerous legal restrictions: they cannot vote, hold certain public-sector jobs, or own property. Their passports label them, and their children, as "Alien."
Alien City is a poetic journey through Daugavpils, Latvia's second-largest city and a cultural epicenter for this marginalized community. With an Russian speaking population of 75%, Daugavpils has become Latvia’s unofficial "Alien" capital, reflecting the layered identities and unique challenges of its residents.
