The profile of border crossers has changed — they are now trained men in their prime, capable of acting quickly, said Latvian Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis (New Unity) in an interview with LETA, commenting on the situation along Latvia’s eastern border.
Speaking about the installation of modern technology along the Latvia–Russia and Latvia–Belarus borders, Kozlovskis noted that around 460 kilometers of the eastern border area will be equipped with optical cables, allowing the integration of advanced functionalities, including artificial intelligence solutions.
This, however, “does not mean the border cannot be crossed illegally,” the minister said. “But if someone attempts to physically damage it, we will receive immediate information.”
AI-based systems will help distinguish whether an object near the border is “a trespasser, a wild animal, or a border guard,” Kozlovskis added.
“The concept of border guarding will also change.
Currently, patrols mostly react to incidents, but we must be able to act faster. If the border is crossed and we arrive half an hour later, no one will be waiting for us there,” the minister said.
According to Kozlovskis, the border crossers are no longer vulnerable migrants but physically fit men trained to move fast. Therefore, a complex network must be created to prevent illegal entrants from penetrating deeper into Latvian territory.
Even Poland, which has much greater resources, admits that it fails to detain around 4% of illegal border crossers, he noted.
The minister rejected the idea that Latvia is the “weak link” in Eastern Europe, pointing to statistics showing that
the number of people apprehended later in Lithuania and Poland and returned to Latvia remains relatively small.
In 2023, around 14,000 people attempted to cross the Latvian border illegally. Of those detained later in Lithuania and Poland and returned to Latvia, about 1,000 were identified. Last year the number was over 500, and this year — despite the number of crossing attempts being twice as high — fewer than 500 people have been returned. These are illegal border crossers who made it through Latvia and were caught later in neighboring countries, as well as those who applied for asylum in Latvia.
“Can we say this means we are performing worse? I absolutely disagree,” Kozlovskis said. “Both Lithuania and Poland have increased their resources to detect illegal migrants, and the figures reflect that.”
So far this year, 10,417 people have been prevented from crossing the Latvia–Belarus border illegally, while 25 have been allowed entry for humanitarian reasons.
In 2023, 5,388 people were prevented from crossing the same border, and 26 were admitted on humanitarian grounds.
The Latvian government has extended the enhanced border security regime along the Belarusian border until December 31, 2025, due to the heightened flow of illegal migrants orchestrated by Belarus.
The reinforced regime remains in effect in Ludza, Krāslava, and Augšdaugava municipalities, as well as in Daugavpils and Kaunata Parish in Rēzekne municipality.
Read also: Merkel has become one of the most harmful German politicians for Europe, says Morawiecki