Pabriks: a more aggressive border guard policy must be implemented, preventing immigrants from entering Latvia

Commenting on the latest information on illegal immigrants detained by the border guards, the Minister pointed out that it is necessary to work on a more aggressive border guard policy.

“It is no longer to watch immigrants cross the border and then detain them, but to use technological means to prevent them from crossing the border. As Lithuania has now understood and is doing,” the minister said.

Pabriks drew attention to the fact that persons crossing the Latvian-Belarusian border are not classical refugees who should be supported by the Latvian state.

“These are immigrants used for geopolitical motives, supported by the Belarussian authorities, who I see as part of the planning of the joint military exercise” Zapad 2021 “with the eastern neighbors,” the minister emphasized.

Although the army has been providing support to the border guard in the control of the eastern border for a long time, Pabriks pointed out that the methods to be used for a stricter border guard policy are the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior.

“Border violators must give a clear signal that they are not expected and must not be allowed to cross the border,” Pabriks emphasized.

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It has already been reported that the State Border Guard has detained 28 illegal immigrants this week for illegal crossing of the Latvian-Belarusian border.

This year, eight cases of illegal crossing of the Latvian-Belarusian state border have been detected and a total of 55 third-country nationals have been detained – 51 citizens of Iraq, one Syrian, one Sri Lankan, one Indian and one Belarusian.

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Border guards detain 28 people for illegal border crossings

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The Armed Forces will expand support to the State Border Guard at the Latvian-Belarusian border

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Assessing the situation in Lithuania, as well as taking into account the growing risks on the Latvian-Belarusian state border, enhanced 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.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš (JV) and Minister of the Interior Marija Golubeva (AP) announced that Latvia plans to accelerate the construction of the Latvian-Belarusian border infrastructure and attract additional army forces to its security.

This week, Pabriks instructed the National Armed Forces to expand the support provided to the border guard since July 12. The army is tasked with ensuring the protection of the country’s eastern border by deploying additional surveillance systems, providing unmanned aerial vehicles, seconding additional personnel, and conducting regular military exercises.

It has also been reported that the Golubeva Action Plan for Strengthening the Security of the Latvian State Border includes ten points, one of which envisages providing a possible crisis solution with quick-to-deploy temporary solutions, namely, high-security barbed wire.

If the number of illegal border violators increases dramatically, then the government can declare a state of emergency in part of the territory of Augšdaugava and Krāslava counties, and the necessary legal regime will enter into force immediately, but the Saeima decision will need to approve it, Golubeva plan.