Kulbergs: Latvia still faces hybrid attack from Belarus
Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs says Latvia continues to face a hybrid attack from Belarus and must use all available options to strengthen border security. The government will decide on Tuesday on an Interior Ministry proposal to suspend operations at the Pāternieki border checkpoint.
Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs has said Latvia continues to face a hybrid attack from Belarus. He stressed that the country must use all available options to bolster security and reduce pressure from illegal migration.
Kulbergs was commenting on the Interior Ministry's intention to ask the government to suspend operations at the Pāternieki border checkpoint on the Latvia–Belarus border. He said the matter will be discussed at the government meeting on Tuesday, August 4. The prime minister described the situation on the Belarusian border as a real security problem that directly affects Latvia. According to him, decisions must be based on facts and statistics, and it must be assessed whether specific measures help reduce pressure on the border and infrastructure.
The government wants to review the data and evaluate the effectiveness of possible solutions, Kulbergs added. "Let's wait for tomorrow," he said.
Ieva Siliņa, parliamentary secretary at the Ministry of Education and Science and a representative of the National Alliance, noted that since border crossing through Pāternieki was halted for technical reasons, the number of detained border violators has dropped significantly. Earlier, a much larger number of attempts to cross the border illegally were recorded every day, while in recent days only a few people have been detained. Siliņa acknowledged that this could indicate a link between the checkpoint suspension and reduced migration pressure.
The Interior Ministry says Belarus has long been facilitating uncontrolled movement of third-country nationals towards the EU's external border, creating security risks for Latvia. The government plans to decide on the ministry's proposal on an urgent basis.
At present, border control at the Pāternieki checkpoint is impossible due to technical failures detected in information systems on July 31. The State Border Guard has previously advised border crossers to use crossing points on the Lithuania–Belarus border if necessary.
