Pāternieki border crossing remains closed; travellers directed to Lithuania
On 1 August, the Pāternieki border checkpoint between Latvia and Belarus is still closed because of technical problems, and travellers are asked to use other crossing points in Lithuania. The government has also kept an enhanced border protection regime in place until the end of the year.
On 1 August, the Pāternieki border checkpoint on the Latvian–Belarusian border remained closed. According to the State Border Guard, technical faults have disrupted the operation of information systems at the crossing, making it impossible to perform border checks at present.
People who had planned to cross the border through Pāternieki are advised to use the nearest alternative border crossing points, which are located in neighbouring Lithuania.
The government had previously extended the reinforced border protection regime along the Belarusian border until the end of this year. The measures were introduced in response to the increased flow of illegal migrants caused by Belarus. The enhanced regime is currently in force in several border areas: Ludza and the rural parishes of Ludza Municipality, Krāslava and the rural parishes of Krāslava Municipality, Augšdaugava Municipality, Daugavpils, and Kaunata Parish in Rēzekne Municipality.
Border Guard figures show that last year, 12,046 people were prevented from illegally crossing the Latvian–Belarusian border. At the same time, 31 irregular migrants were allowed to cross for humanitarian reasons. In 2024, the border guard stopped 5,388 attempts to cross the border illegally, while 26 people were admitted to the country on humanitarian grounds.
