Seven migrants permitted to enter Latvia for humanitarian reasons

On Tuesday, 30 November, Latvia’s State Border Guard decided to permit the entry of seven Iraqi citizens from Belarus, as confirmed by authorities.
These people were initially detained for illegally crossing the border. Among them are three women, one man and three children.
On the same day border guards prevented a group of 22 people from illegally crossing the Latvian-Belarusian border.
Since the start of August, when a state of emergency was first declared along the border, Latvian authorities have detained a total of 2 653 people.
At the same time, 81 people have been let in Latvia for humanitarian reasons and 433 have been detained for illegally crossing the border.
In response to the increasing immigration pressure, Latvia’s government declared a state of emergency in Ludza, Krāslava, Augšdaugava and Daugavpils, which is set to end 10 February 2022.
Over the course of the last couple of months there have been numerous attempts by illegal Iraqi immigrants from Belarus to cross the Latvian, Lithuanian and Polish border. This is believed by many to be part of a hybrid attack orchestrated by Aleksandr Lukashenko.
The state of health of the people staying near the border is poor, as it is cold outside and they don’t have proper accommodation options.
Journalists in Lithuania found a group that told them they are unable to return to Iraq or Belalarus.
More on this topic: Lithuanian journalists hear out migrants about efforts to cross border, child health
There is also no clarity as to who will take responsibility for the people staying on the border and living in inhumane conditions.