Lithuania sends 20 border guards to Latvia

Lithuania has sent a new group of 20 State Border Guard Service officers to Latvia to help address pressure from irregular migration from Belarus, LRT reported.

The officers departed on Wednesday, the Interior Ministry said Thursday. Four groups of Lithuanian border guards have been sent to Latvia since July.

Under the coordination of Latvian officials, the Lithuanian officers are monitoring the border, preventing irregular migration and carrying out other duties related to border protection.

Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas also awarded commendations on Thursday to 27 State Border Guard Service officers who took part in the mission in Latvia and helped protect the country’s border with Belarus, which is an external border of the European Union.

“The security of Lithuania and Latvia is closely connected, so our officers’ assistance to our neighbours is an important example of a joint response to the pressure from irregular migration,” Katelynas said.

Lithuanian officials have recorded an increased flow this year of irregular migrants attempting to enter Lithuania from Latvia. Latvian officials have prevented nearly 10,000 irregular migrants from entering the country this year, while Lithuanian border guards have stopped 1,100 people from entering Lithuania from Belarus.

In 2025, a total of 1,288 irregular migrants transported from Latvia or travelling independently were detained. During the first half of this year, 1,546 irregular migrants were detained after crossing the Latvia Belarus border and attempting to reach Western Europe through Lithuania and Poland.