{"id":199573,"date":"2026-08-11T18:23:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T15:23:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/199573\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T18:24:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T15:24:01","slug":"latvia-stops-15-undocumented-foreigners-in-clandestine-tunnel-on-belarus-border","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/199573\/","title":{"rendered":"Latvia stops 15 undocumented foreigners in clandestine tunnel on Belarus\u2019 border"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (rs.gov.lv)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

August 11, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Latvian border guards discovered an underground tunnel on the border with Belarus last night, marking the first known case of a clandestine tunnel built to facilitate irregular entry into Latvia, the Latvian State Border Guard reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fifteen undocumented foreigners who had crossed the border irregularly were forced to return to Belarusian territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tunnel was dug near the Silene border crossing, which had been closed in the fall of 2023, some 10 meters from the border, Delfi <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs has described the ongoing migration crisis as \u201ca business and the result of the activities of organized criminal groups linked to Russia.\u201d The politician called for tracking vehicle movements within Latvia, along with border controls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riga is considering all possible options for addressing the problem of illegal migration, Kulbergs stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flow of people eager to cross into the EU surged in spring 2021 after Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In June 2021, the Belarusian government suspended a readmission agreement with the EU in response to sanctions that followed the forced landing of a Ryanair flight in Minsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Latvia, Lithuania and Poland call the migration crisis a \u201chybrid attack\u201d orchestrated by Minsk and Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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