Latvia Partially Resumes Border Checks at Pāternieki; Entry from Belarus Allowed Again

Border checks at the Pāternieki border crossing point have been partially restored on Sunday evening, and travellers from Belarus are once again allowed to enter Latvia, the State Border Guard said. At the same time, leaving Latvia for Belarus remains impossible.

The border guard explained that technical failures that had disrupted information systems since 31 July have been partly resolved. Previously, the service had advised travellers to use the Medininkai or Šalčininkai crossing points on the Lithuanian–Belarusian border instead.

The government on Sunday did not approve the Interior Ministry's proposal to suspend the operation of the Pāternieki checkpoint entirely. Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs (AS) told journalists that in August, substantial preventive measures would be taken by the interior and defence sectors to limit the flow of illegal migrants across the EU's external border as much as possible. He stressed that the government is considering all available options, and closing Pāternieki is one of them, but it is not being confirmed at present because the irregular migration flow is not concentrated at this particular crossing point but outside it.

The Prime Minister also noted that when deciding the future of the checkpoint, security is the primary concern, not economic considerations. Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava (NA) had previously prepared a proposal to suspend the Pāternieki checkpoint, which would effectively close the only road crossing on the Latvian–Belarusian border.

It should be recalled that an enhanced border protection regime is in force along the Belarusian border in Latvia until the end of the year, introduced in response to increased migration pressure from Belarus.