Latvia Fears Increased Illegal Migration Due to Middle East War and Pakistanis from Belarus
Міністр внутрішніх справ Латвії Ріхардс Козловскіс попередив про зростання ризиків нелегальної міграції через війну на Близькому Сході та потенційний потік пакистанських мігрантів з Білорусі. Цього року вже припинено 1645 спроб незаконного перетину кордону з Білоруссю, що спонукало до продовження посиленого режиму охорони кордону.
Latvian Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis stated that the war in the Middle East could increase illegal migration pressure on Latvia. He noted that the escalation of the conflict and ground operations would inevitably lead to civilian displacement, similar to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, thereby increasing illegal migration risks.
Kozlovskis also expressed concern about tens of thousands of Pakistani labor migrants currently in Belarus. He suggested they might be encouraged to move to other countries, creating additional pressure on the Latvian border. The minister emphasized the need to maintain bilateral ties with Pakistan to address these issues.
This year, 1645 attempts of illegal crossing have been stopped at the Latvian-Belarusian border. The government extended the enhanced border protection regime in the Belarusian border area until June 30 due to the increased flow of illegal migrants. Last year, the Latvian State Border Guard prevented 12,046 attempts of illegal border crossing, allowing entry to 31 migrants on humanitarian grounds.