The crisis of migrants on the Lithuanian-Belarusian border may also affect Latvia, therefore the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (Supreme Court) Aigars Strupišs already calls on the judiciary to identify potential risks and anticipate models for their prevention, informed Rasma Zvejniece, Head of the Communications Department of the Supreme Court.
Strupišs has sent a letter to all members of the Judicial Council, including the Minister of Justice Jānis Bordāns (JKP), in which he drew attention to the fact that the number of migrants crossing the Latvian-Belarusian border is increasing. If this trend continues, there is a high probability that dealing with migrant issues will require much more resources from the judiciary than is currently available to the courts, the letter said.
Strupišs has pointed out that residence permit cases, which make up a relatively small part of the total amount of cases to be heard in Latvian courts, are currently reviewed by nine judges. Although migrant cases will mainly affect administrative courts, the burden on courts of general jurisdiction may also increase, as the courts may receive criminal and administrative offenses related to migrants and may also have to deal with civil disputes. Consequently, the resources of the judiciary in the event of an unforeseen increase in these cases could be limited and pose serious risks to the judiciary as a whole.
He said that problems in refugee issues usually come suddenly and avalanches, and that efforts should be made to identify potential risks and take action to address them. At present, “key points” are the number of judges dealing with this category of cases and adequate support staff resources, in particular trained judicial assistants and additional support staff – secretaries and clerical staff.
“Courts should also be familiar with the current case law of the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on these issues, as well as information on the current situation in the countries of origin,” Strupišs said in the letter. embassy contact information.
“Finally, the possibility of the courts using escorts or remote hearings in connection with refugee accommodation centers should be explored, especially if new temporary centers are to be set up,” the President of the Supreme Court emphasized.
Strupišs calls on Bordāns, in co-operation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior, to ensure the monitoring of the development of the situation and, in case of significant changes, to provide timely information to the Council of Justice.
The Judiciary and Scientific Analytical Division of the Supreme Court is tasked with identifying the current case law of the CJEU and the European Court of Human Rights in dealing with migrant issues.
“Currently, the situation does not require active action, so we remain in surveillance mode. Let’s hope for the best, but gradually start to prepare for the worst,” said Strupišs.
It has already been reported that five cases of illegal crossing of the Latvian-Belarusian state border have been detected this year and a total of 27 third-country nationals have been detained – 23 Iraqi, one Syrian, one Sri Lankan, one Indian and one Belarusian citizen.
Assessing the situation in Lithuania, as well as taking into account the growing risks on the Latvian-Belarusian state border, enhanced border surveillance has been introduced and State Border Guard resources have been mobilized to monitor the green border, as well as 24 national guards Frontex border and coast guard experts with two vehicles.
This decision was made because in the past there was an increased flow of illegal migrants across the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. European politicians have allowed the flow of migrants from Belarus to take place with the support of the country’s leadership.
LETA also wrote at the end of last year that the construction of an ambitious eastern border strip had been suspended for some time to implement the recommendations of the State Audit Office. Until the works were suspended, a total of about 50 kilometers of the Latvian-Russian border remained untouched.
Regarding the Latvian-Belarusian border, there is no extensive installation work.
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