Latvia moves to close Belarus border to passenger cars and trucks

The Latvian Interior Ministry has submitted a draft government decision that would halt the crossing of the Latvia–Belarus border by private individuals and road freight. If the Cabinet approves the proposal, Pāternieki, currently the only official land border checkpoint on the road between Latvia and Belarus, would stop operating. The Indra railway crossing would remain available only for freight trains, while passenger air travel to Belarus has not been possible for several years.

The ministry says the move is needed to guarantee the inviolability of the state, prevent threats to public order, help border guards and other services fight illegal border crossings, and make better use of resources during a crisis.

According to the ministry, illegal migration pressure on the border remains unchanged and high, requiring significant manpower. The long-running reinforced border protection regime has placed a sustained burden on State Border Guard personnel, and existing capacity is insufficient to simultaneously run full checks at crossing points and physically guard the so-called green border.

Under current legislation, the Cabinet has the right to fully or partially suspend the operation of specific border crossing points while a reinforced border protection regime is in force.

The Interior Ministry also points out that Belarus continues to allow and encourage uncontrolled illegal border crossings by third-country nationals, deliberately posing a security threat to Latvia and creating an unjustified administrative burden on state resources. Keeping Pāternieki open, the ministry argues, would give Belarus a broader opportunity to continue a long-running hybrid war operation against Latvia and use the checkpoint for pressure, provocations and intelligence activities.

It was previously reported that border control at Pāternieki has been impossible since 31 July due to technical faults in information systems. The State Border Guard has advised travellers to use the Medininkai and Šalčininkai checkpoints on the Lithuania–Belarus border instead.

Latvia’s government has extended the reinforced border protection regime along the Belarusian border until the end of this year. It applies in Ludza and parishes of Ludza municipality, Krāslava and parishes of Krāslava municipality, Augšdaugava municipality, Daugavpils and Kaunata parish of Rēzekne municipality.

The State Security Service has repeatedly advised Latvian residents not to travel to Russia or Belarus because of high risks of espionage, recruitment and provocation.