On Tuesday, the government approved a proposal from the Ministry of the Interior (MoI) to restrict access at Latvia’s border checkpoints with Russia and Belarus. Starting on the 19th of March, the “Pāternieki,” “Grebņeva,” and “Terehova” border crossings will only be accessible by car, prohibiting crossing on foot or by bicycle.
The MoI had received a proposal from the State Border Guard to partially close these border checkpoints—”Pāternieki” in Krāslava Municipality, and “Grebņeva” and “Terehova” in Ludza Municipality—to pedestrians and cyclists.
The order does not specify a time limit for the restrictions.
Security concerns behind the decision
According to the MoI, the partial closure is necessary due to the current geopolitical situation, particularly the war initiated by Russia in Ukraine. The ministry stressed the need to strengthen border security measures and improve the efficiency of border control at these checkpoints.
“The war launched by Russia and openly supported by Belarus poses a risk and a potential motivation for both countries to continue attempts to destabilize the situation on Latvia’s border,” the MoI stated.
Officials also cited Finland’s experience in dealing with border security threats. A recent increase in individuals attempting to illegally cross the Finland-Russia border using bicycles and scooters led Finland to ban pedestrian crossings at its border.
“Therefore, it is essential for Latvia to follow a common approach to the effective organisation of border controls at Latvia’s borders with Belarus and Russia at the existing border crossing points, allowing Russia to use hybrid warfare tactics at its border with Finland and to repeat the scenario of triggering a migration crisis, which has already been used at Belarus’ border with EU Member States,” it reads.
The gathering of people near border crossing points is considered a significant public safety risk, impacting border security operations. The MoI warned that large groups of individuals attempting to cross the border at the same time could pose a serious risk, potentially leading to mass unrest and an attempt to breach border regulations, directly threatening Latvia’s internal security.
“Therefore, taking into account the above-mentioned aspects, it is important to adopt precautionary measures and review the organisation of border control at border crossing points, so that the state takes effective measures to mitigate the risks in advance, i.e. by identifying and mitigating the risks to the security of the state border,” says the MoI, without providing more specific information, such as the increase in the number of border crossers at these border crossing points in the last few days.
Previous border closures
In October 2023, Latvia suspended the operation of the “Vientuļi” and “Pededze” border crossing points. In February 2024 the government decided not to reopen the “Silene” border crossing on the Latvia-Belarus border.
These decisions were part of Latvia’s broader efforts to reduce security risks linked to Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine and safeguard national security.