{"id":130330,"date":"2025-03-17T14:30:49","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T11:30:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/130330\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"latvia-may-close-last-checkpoint-fearing-inflow-of-third-country-migrants-from-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/130330\/","title":{"rendered":"Latvia may close last checkpoint, fearing inflow of third-country migrants from Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\n Paternieki\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (vni.lv)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

March 17, Pozirk. <\/strong>Latvia’s State Border Guard (SBG) has requested the government to close the Paternieki checkpoint for pedestrians crossing the border with Belarus over a rise in irregular border crossings, the Latvian media reported, citing SBG Chief Guntis Puj\u0101ts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SBG may demand the full closure should the illegal migration reach critical levels, the official noted. It may take the government about six months to decide on the matter, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His comments come one day after Latvia closed the Paternieki checkpoint for hours in response to a suspicious concentration of dozens of people on the Belarusian side.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Border guards feared that if the crowd grows to hundreds, they could storm the border, Puj\u0101ts said, noting that the checkpoint was closed to reinforce protections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that Poland had reported up to 100 irregular crossing attempts per day. \u201cWe cannot rule out that one day these flows can be redirected toward Latvia,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In September 2023, Latvia closed the Silene border crossing at its shared border with Belarus indefinitely, citing concerns about illegal migration at the Belarusian-EU border continuing since spring 2021. Paternieki is now the only operating checkpoint between the two countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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