Lithuania extends border assistance mission to Latvia with new guard deployment

Lithuania has extended its border assistance mission to Latvia, which is currently facing a migrant influx from Belarus, the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) announced on Monday.

A new group of nine Lithuanian border guards will depart for Latvia on Wednesday to replace VSAT officers who have been stationed there since July 1. The new rotation will include personnel from the Pagėgiai and Pakrantė border protection units, accompanied by two cynologists with service dogs.

The Lithuanian guards are expected to work in Latvia for two weeks, as with previous deployments. Under the coordination of Latvian colleagues, they will monitor border sections, prevent illegal migration from Belarus, and carry out other border security tasks in the most problematic areas along Latvia’s border with Belarus.

Lithuania has provided similar assistance to Latvia in previous years, including in 2023–2025. This year, Latvia has faced significant pressure from illegal migration via Belarus. According to VSAT data, Latvian authorities have detained or turned back 7,855 migrants attempting to cross from Belarus so far this year—nearly nine times the number of attempts recorded at Lithuania’s border, where 901 migrants were stopped.

Additionally, secondary migration flows from Latvia have increased more than fourfold compared to previous years, VSAT reported.