Premier says it is too early to discuss border control with Latvia, other options remain
Thursday 16th July 2026 on 17:15 in
Lithuania
Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has stated that it is premature to discuss reinstating temporary border controls with Latvia, as other measures to address irregular secondary migration have yet to be exhausted.
“I believe it is still too early to consider this. Yes, there is a problem. Yes, I think we need to combine the efforts of both countries to control it, without immediately resorting to opening a border checkpoint,” Sinkevičius told TV3 on Thursday.
“There is still an arsenal of options that can be implemented before that [restoring controls], but we have certainly drawn the attention of Latvian politicians at the highest level to the fact that the situation is truly unpleasant and should be resolved jointly,” he added.
According to the Baltic News Service (BNS), the flow of secondary migration from Latvia has increased this year, rising from just over 300 cases in the first half of last year to more than 1,200 foreigners in the same period this year.
Earlier this week, Lithuania hosted Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs and his delegation, during which interior ministers from both countries signed a bilateral agreement on cooperation in combating crime, which is also expected to help tackle organised migrant smuggling networks.
Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas had previously suggested that if the flow of irregular secondary migration from Latvia continues unchecked, the reintroduction of temporary border controls could be considered. However, President Gitanas Nausėda argued that such a move would amount to capitulation to irregular migration, noting that Lithuania does not face any special issues in its relations with Latvia.
Sinkevičius acknowledged that Lithuania is managing irregular migration but highlighted a “detour via Latvia,” as the neighbouring country faces challenges in border surveillance. According to Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service, this year alone, over 8,000 migrants have attempted to enter Latvia, been detained, returned to Belarus, or turned back by Latvian border guards on the Belarusian side. This figure is nearly nine times higher than the number of attempts to enter Lithuania from Belarus.