Over 50 migrants detained in Estonia claim to be minors
Since July 21, Estonia has detained 109 foreign nationals who illegally crossed from Latvia, with more than half claiming to be unaccompanied minors. Border officials are treating these claims with caution due to inconsistent statements about age.
Estonia has detained 109 foreign nationals since July 21 who had no legal grounds to remain in the country. All of them illegally crossed the border between Latvia and Belarus before making their way to Tallinn. Currently, 119 foreign nationals are being held in the country's migrant centers, while 19 people have already been returned to Latvia. No detentions have been recorded elsewhere in Estonia.
Indrek Aru, head of the Estonian Police and Border Guard's Northern Prefecture, said that more than 50 of those detained claim to be unaccompanied minors. However, he stressed these are only unverified statements — several individuals have given contradictory information, stating an age of 30 one day and insisting they are only 16 the next. According to Aru, physical appearance, such as a long beard or wrinkles around the eyes, does not prove that a person is genuinely underage.
The border guard chief suggested that some migrants may be lying about their age in hopes of more favorable treatment, seeking to avoid detention centers in favor of accommodation facilities offering full support.
Possible minors at the Rae center
About 30 possible minors are currently staying at the asylum seekers' center in Rae municipality. Indrek Juss, senior specialist at Estonia's Social Insurance Board, explained that under law, the municipality must arrange guardianship for these individuals, prompting it to request assistance from the Social Insurance Board on August 12. Juss said the possible minors are likely from Ethiopia and Eritrea and are older than 16. Communication with them takes place through two interpreters — first from Tigrinya into English, then from English into Estonian.
Aru noted that unaccompanied minor status triggers additional procedures, since a legal representative from the municipality must first be appointed before other steps, including identity and age verification, can proceed. Border guard officials currently believe most claims of minor status are untrue, but age is not determined by a single officer — an expert commission that includes medical professionals carries out the assessment. Initial interviews with detained migrants have taken place, though it is too early to draw conclusions about the results.
