Lithuania sends fifth border guard team to Latvia

A new group of Lithuanian border guards has travelled to Latvia to replace officers who spent two weeks on an assistance mission, LRT reported, citing Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service.

The 20 officers will be deployed in one of the most challenging sections of Latvia’s border with Belarus, in the area overseen by the Silenė border guard station. Working under the coordination of their Latvian counterparts, they will monitor the border, prevent irregular migration from Belarus and carry out other border protection duties.

The group includes officers from the Pagėgiai and Coast Guard Border Guard units, as well as four handlers with service dogs. It is the fifth Lithuanian group sent to Latvia this year. The two groups before it each consisted of nine officers.

The Lithuanian officers travelled in official vehicles and brought their own equipment and weapons. The costs of the mission will be covered by Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service. They are expected to serve in Latvia for two weeks, after which further assistance will be decided based on the situation along the neighbouring country’s border with Belarus.

Lithuanian border guards also assisted their Latvian counterparts in 2023-2025.

Latvia has recently faced significant pressure from irregular migration from Belarus. Its border with Belarus is 173 kilometres long, compared with 679 kilometres for Lithuania. This year, 10,127 migrants attempting to enter Latvia have been detained and returned to Belarus, or deterred while still on the Belarusian side, compared with 1,231 attempts prevented by Lithuanian border guards.