The situation at the eastern border remains tense: over the weekend, border guards detained several groups of smugglers, and the flow of attempts at illegal crossings does not decrease.
From April 30 to May 4, four individuals were detained in the Augšdaugava and Krāslava regions for transporting a total of 28 illegal migrants, reported the State Border Guard.
The first incident was recorded on April 30: a Toyota vehicle driven by a Latvian citizen was stopped in the Augšdaugava region. Six individuals of Asian descent without documents were found in the car.
On May 2, two detentions occurred simultaneously. In the Krāslava region, a Volvo vehicle with six migrants was stopped, and less than an hour later, another Toyota was stopped in the Augšdaugava region, driven by a citizen of Moldova. This vehicle contained 12 individuals without documents.
On May 3, a Toyota vehicle with taxi markings was detained in the Dagda municipality. It was driven by an Estonian citizen, and there were four illegal migrants in the cabin.
Criminal cases have been initiated against the Latvian citizens for facilitating the illegal stay of a large number of individuals. The Moldovan citizen is charged with the illegal movement of people across the border under enhanced conditions, while the Estonian citizen is accused of intentionally assisting illegal stay.
All 28 detained migrants were returned to the border with Belarus.
A separate incident occurred on May 3: a violator who illegally crossed the border behaved aggressively—throwing stones and threatening border guards. After the use of special means, he was forced to return.
The Border Guard emphasizes that participation in such schemes poses serious consequences—up to ten years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.
At the same time, attempts at illegal border crossings continue. On Tuesday alone, another 50 such cases were prevented, and since the beginning of the year—2288.
Latvia maintains an enhanced border security regime with Belarus, which has been extended until June 30. This was implemented due to the increased flow of migrants, which authorities attribute to the actions of the Belarusian side.
In 2025, more than 12,000 attempts at illegal border crossings were prevented, and this year—thousands of cases have already been recorded in the first months.
The situation shows that pressure on the border remains, and the risk of involvement in illegal transportation remains high.
