July 1, Pozirk. Latvia’s government extended the enhanced security measures along the state border with Belarus until December 31, the Latvian State Border Guard reports.
The measures will continue to apply in the Ludza, Krāslava and Augšdaugava municipalities, the city of Daugavpils and Kaunata district of Rēzekne municipality, it noted, citing “disproportionately large number of irregular border crossings” at the shared border with Belarus as the reason.
“The security situation on the Latvian-Belarusian border remains serious,” said Latvian Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava, describing irregular crossings as the “hybrid pressure exerted by aggressor states against the external border of Latvia and the European Union continues.”
The enhanced border protections will be maintained for as long as the security situation requires, without any compromises at the expense of national security, the official stressed.
Latvia thwarted more than 47,000 irregular crossings by undocumented third-country foreigners via Belarus between August 10, 2021 and June 27, 2026, according to the border authorities’ data. Latvia has been the primary target of irregular migration via Belarus in 2026, with 6,718 attempts reported in the first half of the year.
Latvia has repeatedly extended enhanced security in the border area with Belarus, citing irregular migration.
The flow of people desperate to cross into the EU surged in spring 2021 after Alaksandar Łukašenka, angered by EU sanctions, had indicated that Minsk would not prevent asylum seekers from Africa and Asia from using Belarus as a route to the EU.
Latvia, Lithuania and Poland call the migration crisis a “hybrid attack” orchestrated by Minsk and Moscow.
