On Tuesday, 18 March, the Cabinet of Ministers, on the initiative of the Ministry of the Interior, decided to restrict the operation of the border control posts “Paternieki”, “Terehova” and “Grebneva” from 19 March. According to the decision, only motor vehicles will be allowed to cross the border at these points.
The decision to restrict the operation of these border crossing points was taken in the light of a number of important security and public policy considerations. One of the main reasons is the risks of a hybrid threat and migration crisis, which continue to arise from the strategies pursued by Russia and Belarus to organize migration flows that are harmful to EU Member States, thus necessitating restrictive measures.
There is a well-founded concern that, similar to the recent situation in Finland - where a surge in illegal border crossing attempts was observed shortly before the closure of the Finnish-Russian border - Latvia may also experience an increase in such incidents. This risk is particularly notable with the use of alternative means of transport, such as bicycles or scooters.
It has already been mentioned that on 16 March, a gathering of potential border crossers was observed on the Belarusian side at the “Paternieki” border checkpoint crossing points. The simultaneous gathering of large numbers of individuals at border crossing points poses significant security risks. Such situations could be exploited to incite mass disturbances aimed at disrupting the border crossing regime, thereby constituting a direct threat to the internal security of the Republic of Latvia.
In the light of the above, it is important to adopt precautionary measures and review the organization of border controls at border crossing points so that the State takes effective and preventive measures to mitigate the risks at an early stage. The fundamental duty of the State is to guarantee national security, the protection of which is subject to the precautionary principle.
The priority of national border security and quality migration control, including the fight against illegal migration, remains a topical component of national security in the context of hybrid threats by Russia and Belarus. Therefore, the Ministry of the Interior supports and will continue to support initiatives aimed at ensuring even better control measures at the external borders of Latvia and the EU.