The Latvian government has decided not to close the only operational border crossing point on the Latvian-Belarusian border, "Pāternieki" ("Grigorovshchina"). The initiative to close the checkpoint was put forward by the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs due to the migration crisis, but ultimately this step was deemed inexpedient for now, tvnet.lv reports .
According to the head of government Andris Kulbergs, in August the country's Ministries of Internal Affairs and Defense will strengthen security measures to limit the flow of illegal migrants across Latvia's eastern border, which is also the external border of the European Union. He noted that migrants are currently attempting to enter the country not through the official checkpoint, but outside of it, which is why its closure is not yet considered the most effective solution.
As a result, the Latvian government decided to keep the checkpoint open.
The Minister of Internal Affairs emphasized that the closure of the "Pāternieki" point has not been removed from the agenda and could be implemented quickly if the situation deteriorates. Simultaneously, the authorities will more actively utilize other methods to counter illegal migration.
The main focus is planned to be on technical means of border protection and cooperation with the Ministry of Defense. During military exercises scheduled for August, NATO allied forces will be positioned significantly closer to the Belarusian-Latvian border, and the exercises themselves will be used to strengthen border security.
Jānis Dombrava also reported that the technical problems that arose at the "Pāternieki" checkpoint at the end of last week were related to mobile network operation. According to him, the authorities expect to eliminate these disruptions in the near future.
Until the end of the year, an enhanced protection regime remains in effect on the Latvian-Belarusian border, introduced due to increased pressure from illegal migration.
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