Adjustments to illegal migration patterns align with domestic political developments, as per Pujats' statement.

In the past five years, the State Border Guard in Latvia has been operating under a reinforced regime due to increased attempts of illegal border crossings. This instrumentalization, aimed at destabilizing the security situation, has particularly targeted the Latvian, Polish, and Lithuanian borders, with the latter two seeing a more significant rise in the last two years.

Over 22,000 attempts have been detected of persons illegally entering Poland by crossing the external green border. Meanwhile, as of this year, border guards have prevented 9,136 attempts by people to illegally enter Latvia from Belarus. Last year alone, 5,388 such attempts were thwarted.

The tension at the Latvian border was exacerbated by the requirement for Russian citizens to pass a state language exam in order to extend their residence permit in Latvia, which came into force from September 1. This requirement seemed to have prompted a surge in illegal border crossings, with the most tense months being August, September, and October in 2023.

The European Union's external border has not been immune to this issue. Both Russia and Belarus have been redirecting and adjusting the flow of illegal migrants, affecting the EU's border security. The Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko's regime is viewed by Latvian authorities as using these migrants as a tool in hybrid warfare targeting Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.

The reinforced border surveillance regime is in force in several areas, including Ludza and the parishes of Ludza municipality, Kraslava and the parishes of Kraslava municipality, Augsdaugava municipality, Daugavpils, and the Kaunata parish in Rezekne municipality.

Active preventive work is being carried out at the border to combat illegal immigrant carriers. So far this year, the Border Guard has apprehended 64 carriers of irregular migrants, with about one third being Latvian nationals. Despite these efforts, 15 persons have been let into Latvia on humanitarian grounds this year, and 26 were admitted last year.

The instrumentalization of illegal migration is linked to the internal political processes of countries like Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. The ministry responsible for coordinating the additional border security at the Belarusian border in Latvia is the Ministry of Defence of Latvia. The enhanced border protection regime at the Belarusian border has been extended by the government until December 31 this year.

Adjustments to illegal migration patterns align with domestic political developments, as per Pujats' statement.