Latvia Border Guard Claims Belarus is ‘Coordinating’ Irregular Migrant Crossings

Latvia’s border guard chief has alleged that Belarusian authorities are aiding migrants attempting to enter the EU member state. “Without the knowledge of Belarusian officials and without their attention, it would at least be impossible for such a number [of people] to reach the border of Belarus unnoticed, stay there and cross the border illegally,” Chief Guntis Pujats made a statement on TV after a police and border guards operation on Tuesday.

On that day, 46 migrants were arrested by Latvian authorities after a long pursuit involving a fake police vehicle equipped with flashing blue lights and unusual paint, as reported by state media LSM. Two migrants sustained gunshot injuries and a third member of the group was also hurt. Forty-three individuals were allegedly forced to return to Belarus. According to the news agency DPA, the van’s driver was subsequently arrested. The captured migrants were identified as Somali nationals as per Latvian authorities cited by DPA.

Pujats claimed that it is evident that irregular migration is primarily staged by the Belarusian authorities. Additionally, the head of the border guard also accused the Belarusian security forces of collaborating with smugglers and criminal organisations.

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At the beginning of this month, an official from Latvia’s State Border Guard informed InfoMigrants that, according to intelligence and migrant interviews Belarusian authorities are ignoring individuals attempting to cross the border and in some instances they even assist them actively.

Vladimirs Shersts stated, “If they spot migrants, they don’t arrest them; they simply allow them to create an opening in the fence.” Additionally, he claimed to possess video evidence demonstrating that Belarusian border guards, “escort groups of migrants to various border locations.”

The border between Latvia and Belarus, which is a close ally of Russia, is approximately 172 kilometres long and is part of the EU’s external border. A double mesh fence topped with barbed wire runs the entire length. Despite this barrier, over 4,600 migrants have crossed it so far this year compared to 13,800 for the whole of last year, according to border guards. More than 115 individuals are confirmed to have lost their lives on the EU-Belarusian border over the past three years. The actual number is likely much higher.