On 7 December, the Cabinet of Ministers allocated 331 485 euros to the Ministry of the Interior to cover expenses related to the activities carried out by the institutions subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior on the Latvian-Belarusian border.
The expenditure relates to overtime pay and allowances for the staff involved, travel expenses for staff, catering, the provision of equipment necessary for the performance of given tasks, as well as subsistence and daily allowances for asylum seekers, and catering expenses for persons in quarantine following their arrival at an accommodation centre for asylum seekers.
The funding is granted for the period from 1 October to 31 October: The State Police - 120 979 euros, the State Border Guard - 116 710 euros, and the Office for Citizenship and Migration Affairs - 93 796 euros.
Major activities carried out by State Border Guard officials and staff: Coordination of the activities of the National Armed Forces/National Guard units and State Police structural units at the state border; intensive patrolling/surveillance at the state border and the border strip, monitoring both on the ground and from the air; implementation of deterrence measures when signs of illegal crossing the state border are detected; cooperation with the media and non-governmental organizations in explaining the situation at the border with Belarus.
The provision of support also involves the staff and resources of the State Police structural units. The most qualified officers from Riga and regional structural units were deployed to the border, as well as officers from the Latgale Regional Board.
Likewise, the number of claims from asylum seekers increased. In addition to their direct duties, the staff of the Office for Citizenship and Migration Affairs carried out the following major activities: provided support in organizing the documentation of asylum seekers - registered and listed asylum seekers, prepared asylum seekers’ files, applications for daily allowance, etc.; coordinated the reception, accommodation, food, necessities and equipment of asylum seekers; coordinated additional support in solving reception issues in cooperation with other state institutions and non-governmental organizations.