From August 11, Latvia will strengthen border protection with Belarus and Russia. The government of the country reports that the order will be valid until February 10, 2024.
The security regime is being strengthened at the expense of the police, military and border guards in the territories of Ludzensk, Kraslavsk, Augšdaugavsk krai and Daugavpils.
The order was issued to protect "the integrity of the state border and to prevent the threat, taking into account the disproportionately large number of illegal crossing attempts." It is mostly about protection against illegal migration.
According to Latvian authorities, since August 11, 2021, 14,000 people tried to cross the countryʼs border outside checkpoints.
- The crisis with illegal migrants from Belarus began after the sanctions of the European Union and a number of Western countries in December 2021. Officials of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia are sure that the flow of migrants was part of a hybrid war against the EU by the authorities of Belarus and the Russian Federation. Polish special services provided evidence that the border assault was directed by the general of the border service of Belarus, Podlinyov.
- In May of this year, Poland accused the special services of Russia and Belarus of supporting illegal migrants. Already in August, Latvia provided further evidence that Belarusian border guards help migrants cross the border illegally.