Latvia's border service detained 77 migrants trying to illegally enter the country from Belarus over the past day, a representative of the Latvian State Border Service told Sputnik
RIGA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th August, 2021) Latvia's border service detained 77 migrants trying to illegally enter the country from Belarus over the past day, a representative of the Latvian State Border Service told Sputnik.
On Tuesday, the Latvian government unanimously supported the introduction of a state of emergency on the border with Belarus to stop the influx of illegal migrants. The decision entered into force on August 11 and will last until November 10th.
"During the day, 77 migrants were detained on the border of Latvia and Belarus," the representative said.
Between 6 and 10 of August, 295 people illegally crossing the border of Latvia were detained. In total, 355 people have been apprehended this year.
On July 2, neighboring Lithuania declared an emergency over the influx of illegal migrants from Belarus, many of them Iraqis, Iranians, and Syrians. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says that his country will not contain the flow of illegal migrants to the EU, as it lacks enough resources due to the EU sanctions imposed on Minsk.
According to the latest data, more than 4,000 illegal migrants have been detained in Lithuania on the border with Belarus since the beginning of the year.
