Latvia’s services are adequately preparing for the protection of the border with Belarus, and at the same time it is still necessary to build a fence to guard the border, admits Maris Kučinskis (ZZS), Chairman of the Saeima National Security Commission (NSC).
Asked whether there is a possibility that in the spring, as the weather improves, Latvia may have to face new attempts by the Lukashenko regime to force even more people – hundreds or a few thousand – from other countries into our country, Kuchinski pointed out that there is dictatorship in Belarus. where decisions can be made unilaterally and it is not known what will come to the mind of its leader.
At the same time, the head of the NDK drew attention to the fact that previous attempts to force people into Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have created incomparably bigger problems in Belarus itself, where villages are full of foreigners and which require Belarus to spend money and other resources. Compared to the conditions in which immigrants have to live in Belarus, the Latvian asylum seeker accommodation center “Mucenieki” can be assessed as a “paradise”, the head of the GDR added.
At present, there is no information that the regime of the neighboring country would expect a warmer time to further intensify the efforts of foreigners to enter Latvia, Kučinskis noted. The politician also pointed out that the Lukashenko regime tried to put pressure on the European Union (EU) to gain something, but did not receive any reception.
It is positive that in joint exercises, including the preparation of the necessary technical equipment and action plan, the responsible services, including the national guards and border guards, have prepared for border guarding. However, the physical strengthening of the border itself is lagging behind, so it is important to build a fence on the border, Kučinskis said.
The politician said that we were also prepared for the situation to escalate on a larger scale, but this would already be a broader hybrid war against the EU, in which more help could be received from the EU. Kučinskis also emphasized the importance of co-operation with Estonia, Lithuania and Poland in resolving the situation.
It has already been reported that in addition to the already built 37 kilometers of temporary fence, it is planned to place another 22.8 kilometers of temporary fence, working in parallel on the construction of the permanent infrastructure of the border.
The Latvian-Belarusian state border strip of 172.9 kilometers is also to be built, including a permanent fence of 134 kilometers.
A total of around 4,000 people have reportedly been deterred from crossing the border illegally since 10 August, when a state of emergency was declared.
Since the introduction of the state of emergency, around 100 people have not been prevented from crossing the border on humanitarian grounds, and a total of less than 500 third-country nationals have been detained illegally this year.
Taking into account the increased pressure of illegal immigration, the Latvian government has declared a state of emergency in Ludza, Krāslava and Augšdaugava counties, as well as in Daugavpils. In the summer, the government announced it from August 11 to November 10, but later extended it to February 10.
As part of an extensive hybrid attack on the regime of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, attempts have been made since this spring to send thousands of illegal immigrants from Belarus to Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, most of whom have arrived in Belarus as tourists from Iraq.
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