No attempt to cross the Latvian-Belarusian border illegally for the third day in a row / Article

On Monday, August 23, State Border Guard officials have not detected any attempts by people to cross the Latvian-Belarusian state border illegally, informed the border guards. –

The past day is the third in a row when no illegal border crossing attempts were recorded on the Latvian-Belarusian border.

Since 10 August, a total of 476 people have been deterred from crossing the state border illegally.

There are no people detained for illegally crossing the state border during the past day.

However, since the introduction of the state of emergency, 25 people have not been prevented from crossing the state border for humanitarian reasons, while a total of 377 third-country nationals who have crossed the state border illegally have been detained this year.

CONTEXT:

Government from 11 August to 10 November declared a state of emergency on the country’s border with Belarus. The state of emergency has been declared in four border administrative territories: Ludza region, Krāslava region, Augšdaugava region and Daugavpils city.

Consequently, the State Border Guard has the right to use physical force and special means to immediately return a person to the country from which it illegally crossed the state border. Also, emergency situations in the border guard structural units and other institutions located in the declared territory will not accept applications of persons regarding the granting of refugee or alternative status.

The decision was made after evaluating situation in Lithuaniaas well as given increasing risks on the Latvian-Belarusian state border. Intensified border surveillance had already been introduced and the resources of the State Border Guard and the Army for green border surveillance had been mobilized. Support is also provided by four experts from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex.

Emergency situation proposed to be announced by the Minister of the Interiorto protect the external border of Latvia and the European Union against the use of illegal migration weapons.

Latvia also plans to accelerate the construction of the Latvian-Belarusian border infrastructure. The Interior Ministry has calculated that completion of the unbuilt infrastructure at the border could be costly approximately EUR 30 million.

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