Lithuanian Guards Again to Help Secure Latvia–Belarus Border; Estonia Also Assists
Nine Lithuanian border guards will begin a two-week mission on July 1 to help defend the Latvia–Belarus border amid rising illegal migration. An Estonian unit had already been deployed earlier in June.
Starting Wednesday, July 1, nine officers from the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (VSAT) will join their Latvian counterparts to reinforce the border with Belarus, as reported by "Delfi.lt" citing ELTA.
The Lithuanian border guards will bring their own service vehicles, equipment, and weapons, including two dog handlers with service dogs. They will conduct border surveillance, prevent illegal migration, and carry out other tasks in the most problematic sections, coordinating with Latvia’s border guard. The costs of the deployment are covered by Lithuania. The mission is planned to last two weeks, with further decisions based on the situation.
Latvia is currently facing significant illegal migration pressure from Belarus. This year, 6,681 migrants have attempted to enter illegally – 7.7 times more than in Lithuania (869). In the first half of this year (excluding the last day of June), 1,516 illegal migrants were detained outside Latvian territory while trying to reach Western Europe via Lithuania and Poland, mainly Germany. Compared to the same period in 2024, this secondary migration flow has increased 4.3 times (then 352 detainees).
On June 18, an Estonian unit “ESTPOL 11” – 12 border guards from the Police and Border Guard Board – arrived in Latvia. Veiko Kommusaar, head of the Estonian border guard division, noted that the migration pressure shows no signs of abating: about 50 illegal border crossers are detained daily on the Latvia–Belarus border. He stressed that this is a deliberate, Belarus-backed operation threatening border security, affecting the EU and NATO external border. Lithuanian and Estonian border guards have provided similar assistance in previous years.
