Cooperation with residents living close to the Latvian-Belarusian border in preventing illegal border-crossing attempts has improved lately, said Chief of Latvian State Border Guard Guntis Pujāts in an interview to LTV programme Rīta panorāma.
He said that border guards regularly receive dozens of calls from these residents about sightings of suspicious individuals on the border.
Pujāts pointed to the recently passed law amendments that increased criminal liability for aiding illegal migrants. He believes these amendments have already given results, as they function as preventive measures, deterring residents from even thinking about getting involved in such illegal activities.
The chief of Latvian State Border guard also mentioned the verdict announced by Latgale District Court last week. In accordance with this verdict, a citizen of Pakistan was sentenced to six years and one month in prison for ferrying 19 illegal migrants over the Latvian border.
Pujāts said he hopes this verdict will serve as a warning to others who may consider engaging in this illegal activity.
As previously reported, lately there has been a rapid rise in illegal migration pressure on Latvia from Belarus. On Tuesday, the 12th of March, Latvian border guards registered 12 attempts by illegal migrants to cross the Latvian-Belarusian border.
With that, Latvian border guards have deterred 316 people from illegally crossing the border in the first three months of 2024 alone.
With pressure from illegal migration on a rise, Latvian government has decided to put the State Border Guard on the Latvian-Belarusian border on high alert. This regime will remain in force until the 12th of September.
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