{"id":169873,"date":"2025-12-29T11:29:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T08:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/169873\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"latvia-to-keep-enhanced-border-measures-amid-irregular-migration-via-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/169873\/","title":{"rendered":"Latvia to keep enhanced border measures amid irregular migration via Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (mk.gov.lv)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

December 29, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Irregular migration from Belarus into Latvia is artificial in nature, and Riga will lift enhanced border protections only if Minsk stops migration pressure, Guntis Puj\u0101ts, chief of the Latvian State Border Guard, has told LTV1<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Latvian authorities have repeatedly extended enhanced security in the border area with Belarus, citing irregular migration. The measures are currently in force until July 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s summer was the most difficult in terms of migration pressure, while December was relatively calm, except for one day when 69 undocumented migrants were stopped at the border, LSM<\/em> reported, citing Puj\u0101ts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recent incursions of cigarette-smuggling balloons from Belarus represent another element of a hybrid attack, the official noted. The Latvian police opened 24 criminal proceedings in connection with the incidents, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus\u2019 western neighbors have thwarted some 42,700 irregular entries since the start of 2025, including more than 12,000 attempts reported by Latvia, more than double the total for all of 2024, according to Pozirk<\/em>\u2019s analysis of border guards\u2019 data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flow of people desperate 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

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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