The pressure of illegal migration organized by Belarus on Latvia’s border is expected to remain as high this year as it was last year, State Border Guard Chief Guntis Pujāts said on Tuesday in an interview on LTV’s Morning Panorama.
Pujāts explained that after a harsh yet relatively calm winter, a steady flow of illegal migrants has already been observed at Latvia’s border in April. As a result, he does not expect a calm summer and estimates that this year will be quite tense in terms of illegal migration, with trends similar to those seen last year.
The Border Guard chief also noted that the conflict in the Middle East could increase the number of migrants from that region attempting to reach Latvia, as authorities have information suggesting that individuals are being deliberately recruited to travel through Russia and Belarus in order to enter Europe.
Pujāts emphasized once again that illegal migration is a well-organized operation, involving cooperation between organized crime networks and Belarusian officials.
These migrants are not seeking to reach Latvia as a safe country to apply for asylum;
rather, they are attempting to enter the European Union undetected, primarily with the aim of reaching Germany.
This year, authorities have apprehended 18 individuals involved in transporting illegal migrants—ten of them foreign nationals and eight Latvian citizens.
In terms of infrastructure, work is still ongoing to equip Latvia’s eastern border with technological solutions, Pujāts acknowledged. The work is expected to be completed by the end of the year, which will significantly enhance the country’s ability to detect border violations.
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