The chief Border Guard pointed out that the seven applications are being processed in due order, as all of the Ukrainian citizens entered Latvia with legal visas and sought asylum through official channels upon their expiration. General Garbars noted that events in Ukraine since the beginning of the crisis in November of 2013 have not yet caused any wave of unprecedented attempts by its citizens to enter Latvia illegally.
Altogether in comparison with the same five-month timeframe last year, the number of asylum seekers in Latvia has more than doubled in 2014, up to 106 from 50. However, the number of illegal border crossing attempts has dipped, in line with a general trend across Europe, added General Garbars.
