Estonia to receive €32 million from EU for drone surveillance on eastern border
Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro said the country will receive €32 million from the European Union to strengthen drone surveillance along its eastern border. He also said illegal crossings from Belarus have risen, but there is no migration crisis.
Estonia will be able to considerably expand its drone surveillance, as the European Union has granted €32 million for the purpose. Interior Minister Igor Taro of the Eesti 200 party announced this at the government's weekly press conference on Thursday. He said the news of the funding arrived last week and that the issue is very pressing for the country.
To show the scale of the sum, the minister compared it with other spending: next year €4 million is set aside for other infrastructure on the eastern border, while drone defence will get €32 million.
Migration from Belarus
Taro also addressed migration pressure coming from Belarus. Last year, 39 people were apprehended in Estonia for illegally transiting the country after crossing the Latvia-Belarus border. By 20 October this year, the figure had already reached 406.
The Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) is under considerable strain, but the minister said there is still no reason to speak of a migration crisis. He explained that Estonia's emergency plans are designed for much larger numbers, and even if they were activated, a substantial capacity reserve would remain.
Nearly 50 patrols are involved in migration matters every day. Police officers have worked more than 8,000 hours of overtime. As of Thursday, 134 people detained for illegal transit have been returned to Latvia, with more to follow shortly.
Attempts are declining
The number of attempted illegal crossings on the Latvia-Belarus border is clearly falling: from 340 prevented attempts to 122 over three weeks. Still, Taro stressed that the threat has not gone away and preparedness must stay high, as more people may head toward Estonia. In his view, the main conclusion is that Estonia is managing the situation.
