{"id":192201,"date":"2026-06-17T15:39:43","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T12:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/192201\/"},"modified":"2026-06-17T15:39:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T12:39:45","slug":"latvia-arrests-undocumented-foreigners-who-crossed-from-belarus-drivers","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/192201\/","title":{"rendered":"Latvia arrests undocumented foreigners who crossed from Belarus, drivers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n \"\"\n
\n \n
\n (pixabay.by)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

June 17, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> The Latvian border guards have arrested 13 undocumented third-country foreigners who crossed irregularly via Belarus since the start of this week, as the country remains the main target of irregular migration, its border authorities reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two days ago, border guards in cooperation with the police arrested three persons for transporting irregular migrants in the Aug\u0161daugava and R\u0113zekne regions of Latvia. One Lithuanian and two Ukrainian drivers were arrested yesterday for a similar offence. In total, they transported 13 foreigners without valid travel documents, visas or residence permits who had previously crossed irregularly via Belarus, the border service said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drivers face criminal charges of the illegal movement of persons across the state border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belarus\u2019 westerns neighbors reported 1,300 attempts by third-country nationals to cross into the European Union outside official checkpoints in the first half of June, with Latvia alone thwarting 1,286 attempts.<\/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

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

\n\n
\n \"\"