Latvia’s border guard seeks greater powers amid increasingly violent border crossings
As “armed, masked escorts” lead migrants from Belarus into Latvia, the Latvian Border Guard is seeking greater powers to “protect Latvia’s security.” The interior minister supports the proposal.
On October 5th, an aggressive group of 20 migrants crossed into Latvia, prompting the Latvian Interior Minister to call for increased powers for the State Border Guard. The border crossing, which involved armed and masked individuals threatening Latvian soldiers, damaged surveillance equipment. Latvia's border with Belarus has been fenced and equipped with advanced surveillance systems, but these measures are only making the border guards' adversaries more confrontational.
Guntis Pujāts, head of the State Border Guard, explained that the group was intentionally using force to undermine the border defenses. The border guard is now seeking expanded authority for itself and allied law enforcement to better protect the country's borders. The proposal submitted to the Interior Ministry would allow border guards to use force without prior warning and employ all available tools to neutralize individuals damaging border infrastructure.
The Interior Minister has confirmed he will propose amendments to grant border guards greater discretion in dealing with such threats.
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