Estonia Sends Additional Border Guards to Latvia to Combat Illegal Migration
Estonia is deploying extra police and border guard forces to Latvia to reinforce the EU's external border against illegal migration orchestrated by the Belarusian regime.
Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro announced that the country is sending additional border guards to Latvia to help strengthen the EU's external border. The decision came after dozens of illegal migrants were detained in Estonia in recent days, having entered via Belarus and Latvia. According to the minister, Estonia is primarily used as a transit route to Finland and other Western European countries.
Taro emphasized that the problem must be solved where it originates—at the EU's external border, not at internal borders. He noted that Latvian border guards are operating under extremely high migration pressure, involving not only border guards but also rapid response units, volunteers, and other services. Estonian officers are going to Latvia to reinforce their colleagues and ensure personnel rotation.
The minister, who personally visited the Latvia-Belarus border last week, reported that migrants use homemade wooden ladders, strong ropes, large bolt cutters, and even power tools to breach border fences. He stressed that these are not random people in distress: they are deliberately brought together, equipped with tools and instructions, and sent to storm the Schengen border. When border guards ask them to step back, they reply: "No, we will come anyway."
According to Taro, detention centers for illegal migrants and asylum seekers in Latvia are already overflowing, making it crucial to prevent the further spread of the migration flow within the Schengen area. He also stated that the organized migration is part of hybrid pressure from the Belarusian regime: "The Lukashenko regime is trying to create additional problems for us without directly engaging in hostilities. This is one way to support Russian aggression."
The minister stressed that the situation on Estonia's own external border remains calm. Sending PPA officers to Latvia not only helps neighbors but also provides practical experience in case of similar pressure attempts against Estonia. Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry is preparing a bill to create a crisis reserve, allowing rapid mobilization of trained volunteers—police assistants and rescuers—for emergency response. In conclusion, Taro urged Estonian residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious groups of people who might be illegal migrants to the police.
