The head of the Latvian State Border Guard stated on the Latvian television program “Morning Panorama” on Wednesday that the Belarusian authorities are probably organizing the flows of illegal migrants.
Guntis Pujats commented on the massive special operation that happened in Latvia on Tuesday, saying, “Without the knowledge of Belarusian officials and without their attention, it would be impossible for such a number to come and stay at the Belarusian border and illegally cross the border unnoticed.”
According to the head of border guards, 43 border crossers—all Somali nationals—have been returned to Belarus, while three are still receiving medical attention in the hospital.
“A corridor has been established at the very least, but in reality, it is also certain that the Belarusian services are primarily responsible for coordinating all of this illegal migration.
“Of course, they cooperate with people smugglers, from whom they receive certain payments in the form of bribes, so it is a joint cooperation between Belarusian officials and organized crime,” Pujāts said.
The quantity of people crossing the border illegally has increased recently.
Near its border with Belarus, Latvia installed four of the six planned surveillance towers in September 2024.
The European Union Fund provided 75% of the project’s funding, which totaled over €3.6 million, while Latvia’s state budget provided 25%.
The 145-kilometer border fence between Latvia and Belarus was finished in July. Infrastructure work is currently underway along the land sections where 112 km of the fence were built last year. This includes 17 km of foot patrol tracks and 46.16 km of light vehicle (up to 3.5 tons) patrol tracks. Furthermore, 1.75 km of pontoon patrol lines have been built, enhancing the area’s accessibility and surveillance for border guards.
By 2025, it is anticipated that the remaining 16.7 km of the border, especially the area around Lake Ricu where a fence is currently absent, will be secured.
Numerous European nations, such as Poland and the Baltic states, have charged Moscow and Minsk with creating a migrant crisis by allowing people to enter the EU through Belarus. These countries in turn repeatedly denied the allegations.