As reported, on August 15, the State Border Guard further mobilized border guards for guarding the external State border, taking into account the rapidly increasing hybrid threat on the Latvian–Belarusian border. Support for border guards will be provided by the National Armed Forces and State Police.
On Tuesday, August 15, State Border Guard officials prevented 40 people from attempting illegally to cross the Latvian–Belarusian State border, while a total of 5,839 people have been prevented from illegally crossing the State border this year, the State Border Guard said. A total of 292 people have been allowed entry for humanitarian reasons this year.
The Minister for the Interior acknowledged that the number of border offenders has increased significantly, so jobs are getting tense.
Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš (New Unity) said on Latvian Television Tuesday morning that the mobilization of additional forces on the border is a proactive signal that “there will be no joking around”.
"This is a proactive action. (..) We are simply increasing our presence and sending a clear signal to both our society and the Belarusian authorities that there will be no jokes," Kariņš said.
