"The Estonian language proficiency to the C1 category for an officer of the PPA is a requirement stipulated by law; the police cannot break the law themselves," Prefect of the East Prefecture Tarvo Kruup, said on the dismissal of Narva police officers.

The Language Board (Keeleamet) has conducted regular inspections and has repeatedly ordered corrective action and as a result of the last inspection in 2021, the board proposed to consider dismissing those employees, who did not meet the requirements.

The new date by which it was necessary to pass the examination and prove knowledge of Estonian for category C1 was set for November 1, 2022, but since by that date some of the officers still lacked the category, the PPA decided to extend the deadline once again, and only then took the decision to release from service 10 officers of the Narva Police Station who did not meet the C1 language requirements, the daily wrote.

The police press service specified that since 2008 the PPA has been offering many opportunities to learn Estonian: language courses, language cafes and language immersion, when an employee of the east prefecture was offered to work temporarily in the south or west prefectures in order to be in an Estonian language environment. If reinstated after passing the test, their right to special pension will be retained.

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