“Group of Migrants Detained Near Latvia-Belarus Border Amid Increasing Risks of Illegal Immigration”

A local farmer noticed the group of migrants near Varnaviči, Kaplava county, who also filmed them.

The State Border Guard found out about the illegal crossing after complaints from residents of the local municipality.

A group of six persons has already been detained and sent to the border of Latvia and Belarus, stopped by the State Border Guard.

Until Tuesday, May 16, it was known that this year a total of 3,028 people were prevented from illegally crossing the Latvia-Belarus border, while 178 people were admitted to Latvia for humanitarian reasons.

Last year, a total of 5,286 people were prevented from illegally crossing the Latvia-Belarus border, while 217 people were not prevented from crossing the border due to humanitarian reasons.

As summer approaches, the risks of illegal immigration on the border with Belarus are likely to increase, the head of the State Border Guard, Guntis Pujāts, recently admitted.

In 2021, on August 10, the government decided to declare a state of emergency in Ludza and Krāslava counties, as well as in Daugavpils. It has been extended several times, and the last extension is set until August 10. Previously, it has been debated several times that instead of an emergency situation, some other form of regulation could be established at the border, but no changes have followed.

The Ministry of the Interior has indicated that the war against Ukraine started by Russia and openly supported by Belarus can be considered as an additional risk circumstance and a possible motivation for Belarus to continue its efforts to destabilize the situation on the country’s border with Latvia, that is, to put pressure on the EU and NATO.

The competent institutions of Lithuania and Poland continue to receive information about illegal crossing of the state border from the territory of Belarus.