Latvian officials say armed masked men threatened troops while trying to push 20 migrants across from Belarus, then crossed into Latvia themselves and stole surveillance cameras

Source: Jānis Dombrava

Armed, masked people tried to lead a group of 20 migrants illegally across the border from Belarus into Latvia and threatened soldiers in Latvia’s National Armed Forces, according to Latvian Interior Minister Janis Dombrava and the country’s armed forces.

Dombrava said Latvian soldiers prevented the group from crossing the border. The people accompanying the migrants remained on the Belarusian side, he said. They were armed, threatened the soldiers, and were “actively pushing and guiding the group of migrants toward Latvia.”

Several hours later, the masked people also entered Latvian territory. Dombrava said they damaged an electrical distribution panel and stole surveillance cameras, then returned to Belarus before border guards arrived.

“Belarus should understand that incidents like these could have more serious consequences for Belarus itself,” the minister said.

In 2021, the number of migrants attempting to enter Europe illegally surged along the border between Belarus and the EU. The EU blamed Belarusian authorities for the migration crisis, alleging that Belarusian law enforcement agencies were deliberately bringing migrants to the border area while making no effort to stop them from crossing illegally. Latvian and Lithuanian border guards regularly prevent migrants from entering their countries illegally from Belarus.

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Weaponized migration Chat groups show would-be asylum seekers offered transport through Russia to the Finnish border. Some suspect Moscow’s involvement.
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November 28, 2023

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Latvian officials say armed masked men threatened troops while trying to push 20 migrants across from Belarus, then crossed into Latvia themselves and stole surveillance cameras

From Meduza’s archives

Weaponized migration Chat groups show would-be asylum seekers offered transport through Russia to the Finnish border. Some suspect Moscow’s involvement.

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Latvian officials say armed masked men threatened troops while trying to push 20 migrants across from Belarus, then crossed into Latvia themselves and stole surveillance cameras

From Meduza’s archives

Weaponized migration Chat groups show would-be asylum seekers offered transport through Russia to the Finnish border. Some suspect Moscow’s involvement.

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