Latvia Seeks to Extend Tighter Border Controls with Belarus

The Latvian ministry of the interior will submit a proposal to the government to extend the stricter border protection regime in five key border regions until 31 December of this year. The current emergency measures, which are set to remain in effect only until 30 June, are a response to ongoing security risks along the country's eastern border.

The Baltic state has long faced the most significant migration pressure and attempts to illegally cross the state border precisely along the section bordering Belarus.

The ministry of the interior emphasizes that, in addition to illegal migration, risks from hybrid threats, provocative actions by neighboring regimes, cross-border crime and organized smuggling also persist. Extending the heightened security measures is therefore essential to ensure the continuous combat readiness of all components of the integrated rescue system and the military, in order to effectively prevent entry into the country through unauthorized zones.

Figures from the State Border Guard also attest to the validity of these measures. So far this year, 6,362 cases of illegal border crossings have been successfully prevented, while last year alone, border guards blocked the entry of 12,046 people coming from Belarusian territory.

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