109 attempts to illegally cross Latvia's border with Belarus stopped in one day

Latvia's State Border Guard has reported that over the past day, 109 attempts to illegally cross the border between Latvia and Belarus were recorded and stopped.

Since the beginning of this year, border guards have prevented a total of 10,069 people from illegally crossing at this section of the border.

Enhanced regime extended

The government has decided to extend the enhanced border protection regime in the area bordering Belarus until the end of this year. The decision was made because of the artificially elevated flow of migrants created by Belarus. The stricter control regime applies to several municipalities: Ludza and Ludza county parishes, Krāslava and its county parishes, Augšdaugava county, Daugavpils, and the Kaunata parish of Rēzekne county.

Comparison with previous years

Last year, the State Border Guard prevented a total of 12,046 attempts to illegally cross the border from the Belarusian side. At the same time, 31 people were allowed entry last year on humanitarian grounds.

By comparison, in 2024, 5,388 people were stopped from illegally crossing this border, while 26 people were admitted into Latvia on humanitarian grounds during that year. The figures indicate that pressure on the border has grown significantly in recent years.