Estonian Border Guard expands surveillance in Valga following migrant influx · BNN

he Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) has expanded checks at the country’s borders—not only along the eastern border but also at the Latvian border in Valga, reports ERR News.Last week, 41 individuals were detained after illegally entering Estonia from Latvia, prompting authorities to initiate more extensive checks on people and vehicles. Controls in Valga on the 5th of October were significantly stricter than usual.Igor Bogdanov, head of the patrol service at the police’s southeastern precinct, stated that the migration pressure originates from Belarus; regarding the countries of origin of those detained, Somali citizens are the most numerous group, followed by migrants from East African nations, as well as from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.Valga also has a railway station, and police conducted checks on trains arriving from Latvia, walking through the carriages and verifying documents where necessary. Bogdanov noted that checks are carried out at transport hubs—such as stations—and that private vehicles are also being inspected. Accommodation providers and transport operators have also been informed that they must report anything raising questions or suspicions to the police.Since July, Estonia has detained nearly 200 foreign nationals who lack a legal basis to be in the country. The majority arrived from Belarus via Latvia, and 72 migrants have been handed back to Latvia. Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro described the situation as waves of migration orchestrated by another state. This places a significant strain on the judicial system—particularly the Tallinn Administrative Court, which must approve all detention requests submitted by the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA). Meanwhile, the child protection service of the Rae municipality is struggling to cope with the large number of migrants claiming to be minors.Estonia has extended the rotation of its border guards at the Latvia-Belarus border and has requested assistance from Finland with patrols and the process of returning migrants.