Latvia extends enhanced protection of its border with Belarus

Latvia is to extend the enhanced protection of its border with neighbouring Belarus until the middle of next year for security reasons.

The Ministry of the Interior announced in Riga on Monday that the reason for the decision by the government of the EU and NATO country is the “continued disproportionately high number of illegal border crossing attempts”.

The ministry said that more than 12,000 attempts by migrants to cross the border illegally from the authoritarian-ruled neighbouring country have been prevented so far this year.

The special regulation, which has already been extended several times and was due to remain in force until the end of the year, will now remain in force until June 30 2026.

This will give Latvian border guards more extensive powers in areas in the east of the Baltic state. At the same time, the border is to be equipped with additional technical infrastructure by the end of 2026.

Latvia shares a border with Russia’s close ally Belarus to the east, stretching for around 172 kilometres. The Baltic state, like Poland and Lithuania, accuses Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko of organizing transport for migrants to the EU’s external border in order to put pressure on the West.