Latvia extends Vilkatis border operation through year-end

Latvia’s government has extended the Vilkatis operation against illegal migration on the country’s eastern border through December 31, LSM reported on Tuesday.

The decision was made as repairs continue to border infrastructure damaged by storms on August 22 and 23, and as the State Border Guard strengthens its capacity, including by expanding the use of drones. The operation will maintain enhanced security monitoring along the Latvia-Belarus border to prevent illegal migration.

According to the State Border Guard, attempts to cross illegally from Belarus rose sharply in the spring. Authorities stopped 306 people in March and nearly 1,700 in April. The peak came in June and July, when more than 4,600 citizens of third countries attempted to enter Latvia illegally from Belarus.

The Vilkatis operation began in August, after which the flow fell. In September, 1,244 people attempted to enter Latvia, fewer than in April. Since the start of the year, authorities have stopped almost 12,000 people attempting to cross illegally, about as many as during the whole of last year.

People have tried various methods to cross the border, including using tall ladders, cutting holes in the fence and passing through culverts beneath it. Some have also tried to cross the Daugava River by boat.

Valdis Jukšs, head of the State Border Guard’s Daugavpils division, said the situation remained tense. He said the flow had decreased since Vilkatis began on August 11 and that the operation had shown its importance.