The prime minister warned that migrants are being deployed to probe border weaknesses. This tactic could intensify tensions ahead of October elections.

Migration pressure from Belarus is growing in Latvia, with the involvement in this pressure linked to the actions of Russia’s and Belarus’s top leadership, according to a recent interview with the Latvian prime minister.

Latvia’s Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs told Euronews that Russia and Belarus are intensifying a hybrid campaign against the country, trying to divert attention from Russian losses on the battlefield in Ukraine.

According to Kulbergs, Latvia has become the center of what the EU calls the hybrid campaign by Russia and Belarus against neighboring states.

Hybrid pressure and the neighbors’ response

Since 2021, Lukashenko has been luring migrants from the Middle East and Africa and transporting them by bus to the border with Poland and the Baltic states. In response, many countries have strengthened border security.

The Latvian Armed Forces said they fired a warning shot and used tear gas against migrants attempting to cross the border from Belarus.

According to the Latvian prime minister, these asylum seekers were

men aged 18 to 25 with a criminal record, all issued visas by Belarus

– Andris Kulbergs

He added that this is a systemic threat aimed at exploiting weak links, and the country must use all measures to prevent further crises.

Last week Latvia recorded 111 attempts to cross the border illegally from Belarus in a single day. On the same day there were only two attempts to illegally cross the four times longer border between Belarus and Lithuania.

Due to rising migration flows, Lithuania may consider introducing border controls with Latvia to prevent secondary migration.

The rise in migration amid Latvia’s October parliamentary elections suggests that this step is a coordinated attempt to destabilize the democratic order in the region.

The situation in the region remains tense, and the Baltic states are strengthening mutual support and cooperating with European partners to counter migration pressure.