In December, 860 people attempted to cross the border illegally due to the hybrid war caused by Belarus.
For some migrants, Latvia provides shelter for humanitarian reasons. This was also the case during Christmas, when several physically weak and cold people were allowed to come into Latvia. Several of them are in the hospital now.
Deputy Chief of State Border Guard Daugavpils Office Juris Kusiņš pointed out: "When border guards perform service duties, the impression arises that the representatives of the [Belarusian] authority specifically use this wintertime, the cold to force these people as much as possible to cross the borders to the territory of Latvia so that Latvian border guards take these persons in."
The Border Guard also presumes that Belarus has increased its activity with refugee flows these days, knowing that Christmas is celebrated in Latvia.
