Nowadays, migrants are admitted to Latvia every day – mostly of Iraqi origin, and we are no longer talking about dozens of newcomers, but hundreds. The Ministry of the Interior reports that 39 illegal border violators were detained at the border on Saturday, 35 on Sunday, and 86 on Monday. One group of criminals was not allowed into the country. Meanwhile, outdated statistics can be read on the website of the Border Guard, which do not reflect the danger of the situation.
Reaction too slow
There are already entries in the bubbles of migrant social networks that advertise Latvia as the best alternative to Lithuania at the moment, and so it is objectively. Lithuanian media report that no migrants crossed their border on Monday night. They come to Latvia, where they are welcomed, warmed and fed. Instead, it is a reminder that migrants, when crossing the green border of Latvia illegally, commit a serious criminal offense in accordance with the Criminal Law. Already in Baghdad, snuggling up with human smugglers, sitting on a plane on the way to Minsk and then going into the Lithuanian-Latvian border forests, they realize that they are committing a crime. Therefore, there is no reason for them to lament and talk about human rights. And there is even less justification for the passivity of the Latvian authorities and politicians. The response to the migrant crisis is unforgivably slow and ineffective.
Every migrant can be a terrorist
On Wednesday, the Saeima Defense, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Commission will go to an external meeting at the border. They will be joined by Minister of the Interior Marija Golubeva at the Silene Border Guard Department and then at the Daugavpils Accommodation Center for Detained Foreigners. On August 18, the situation on the Belarusian border will be discussed at an extraordinary meeting of EU interior ministers with the participation of the European Border Agency “Frontex”. In principle, since the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean, Europe has not come far, because there is no mechanism to simply prevent migrants from entering the European Union. They are sailing in rubber boats, flying in planes, coming on foot – and the European Union is giving them warm blankets. Despite the official recognition, “The situation on the Belarusian border, where illegal migration is being used as a weapon, is a security threat to the European Union.”
New groups of criminals are currently crossing the Latvian border, and every criminal admitted to Latvia carries the risk of radical Islamism and terrorism. Most of the newcomers are young and strong men. Nothing is known about their goals, except that they are ready to do anything to achieve them, including working with the mafia.
A fertile environment for military provocations
The situation in the Baltic States is even more complicated due to geopolitical risks. Alongside is Russia, a hostile and aggressive state with its own interests in allied Belarus and the Baltic States. There is a risk that the migrant crisis could be used for military provocations. There is more concern about this aspect in Lithuania, but it has also been noticed in Latvia. The unofficial military portal “Copper Drums” indicates that the migrant crisis at the border is a fertile environment for provocations and incidents with shootings and casualties. But in the background is “Zapad 2021″. The largest joint Russian-Belarusian military maneuvers in four years: “It is hard to imagine a more ideal situation to legalize the deployment of RU forces. Sequence: BY there is a real armed incident or conflict with a NATO country LT, PL or LV. RU rushes to the rescue and remains to stabilize the situation until the conflict is resolved. That’s until the last day. ” Currently, as the main phase of military training “Zapad 2021” is approaching, Russian troops have arrived in Belarus in time. Hostile troops are gathering at our borders.
In the role of criminal waiters
The situation is tense from a military point of view, Minister of Defense Artis Pabriks has also pointed out. And it is strange that he has to offer help to his political colleague Maria Golubeva on Twitter: “The NAF and the National Guard are ready to help the Latvian Border Guard to prevent migrants from entering the territory of Latvia.” However, this assistance has not yet been accepted or is not working.
Soldiers are not stationed in the chain at the border, but border guards continue to play the role of waiters for criminals.
Minister Golubeva has instructed the Chief of the State Border Guard to prepare proposals for strengthening the border protection, as well as the procedure for detaining illegal border crossers. It should be clarified that deterrence would mean that intimidation or physical harassment would lead to migrants returning to where they came from. Migrants will understand that they will have plans on the Latvian side, so they will choose not to come here anymore. In order to use such a method, amendments to the regulatory enactments will be necessary, as currently border guards may use force, dogs and weapons only to detain border violators. The possibility to do so so that they are not allowed into the country and expelled is not provided for by law at all.
Another thousand will come
Juris Rancāns, Head of the Defense, Home Affairs and Corruption Prevention Commission, assures the Independent that the Saeima will mobilize if necessary and make the necessary amendments to the regulations very quickly. Exactly what, will be more clarity after Wednesday’s visit to the border. Assessing the overall development, the deputy acknowledges that the situation is dangerous and needs to be addressed immediately. The good news is that there is a common understanding of this in the coalition. Among other things, recognizing the need to stop the flow of migrants, the Minister of the Interior herself, and she should be reminded, has so far positioned herself as a staunch tug and a supporter of the “refugee” ideology. Juris Rancāns predicts that in about a week Latvia will also manage to stop the flow of migrants – similarly to Lithuania. Taking into account the ever-increasing statistics of the last days, this means that up to a thousand more criminals will arrive in Latvia across the border, and due to the risk of terrorism, the State Security Service will have to work with them.
Just not Russian help
Allowing the use of force will inevitably divert migrant flows back to Belarus. However, the situation will be complicated if the Belarusian border guards do the same and criminal groups get stuck in the neutral border zone between the two countries. It will not be clear what the solutions will be. It is to be hoped that Russia will not offer them. The Baltics have already suffered badly from Russia’s “helping” hand.
The Minister of the Interior announced yesterday that he would ask the government to declare a state of emergency at the border: “In order to protect the external border of Latvia and the European Union against the use of illegal migration weapons, In case the Cabinet of Ministers declares a state of emergency, it will be determined in a part of the territory of Augšdaugava and Krāslava counties and the powers of the State Border Guard will be expanded to deter illegal migration and return illegal border crossers. ”
–
