Latvia will soon close several border checkpoints along its frontiers with Russia and Belarus, in a preemptive step to avoid a potential migrant crisis.
Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis confirmed that the government is expected to approve the decision on March 19, following a coordinated security review.
The move will impact crossings at Grebņeva (Russia’s Ubylinka) and Terehova (Burachki), which will remain open only to vehicles. It follows a similar measure implemented at the Pāternieki (Grigorovshchina) checkpoint on the Belarusian border, which was closed to foot and bicycle traffic on March 16 after a group of migrants attempted to cross.
This was reported by Delfi.
Latvia Responds to Escalating Threats
According to Kozlovskis, the decision wasn't made lightly.
He cited a "thorough assessment of potential threats," including the ongoing war in Ukraine and the role of Belarus in facilitating irregular migration, as justification for the tightened controls.
“This is clearly an attempt to weaponize migration,” said Guntis Pujāts, head of the Latvian Border Guard, referring to recent incidents where groups of migrants attempted to enter Latvia without visas or residence permits.
“They come here, but I don’t know what they expect. They have no documents. Some arrive with bicycles they don’t even know how to ride—pushing them instead.”
Officials believe these tactics are part of a broader strategy by Russia and Belarus to destabilize NATO and EU countries, using migration as a geopolitical tool.
Pujāts noted that closing the Pāternieki crossing had already helped stabilize the situation, with fewer illegal crossing attempts since the measure was enacted.
Minister Kozlovskis suggested the restrictions could stay in place for at least six months, citing similar steps taken by neighboring countries.
“If we look at Finland, all their border crossings remain closed. Even Lithuania, which has traditionally been much calmer than Latvia, is now experiencing increased migrant flows and more illegal border crossing attempts,” he said. “Unfortunately, the situation hasn’t changed, and we won’t be able to ease restrictions anytime soon.”
Most Latvian government agencies have already backed the measure, and implementation is expected to move forward without delays.
Poland Plans Wall Along Belarus Border
Latvia’s announcement comes as other countries along the EU’s eastern border take similar actions.
Poland is pressing ahead with the construction of a border wall along its 400-kilometer frontier with Belarus, aimed at stopping the flow of migrants that Warsaw says is being deliberately engineered by Russia.
Maciej Dusić, Poland’s Deputy Minister for Migration, said the wall is expected to be completed by mid-2025, and predicted that once finished, it would bring border security to “nearly 100%.”
