Reinstating border controls with Lithuania would divert resources away from securing external border - Rinkevics

VILNIUS - During a state visit to Lithuania on Wednesday, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics called the possible reinstatement of border controls on the border between the two countries a "disaster", noting that this would require diverting significant resources from the external border to monitor the internal border.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, meanwhile, told reporters after meeting with Rinkevics that reinstating border controls with Latvia would amount to a surrender in the face of illegal migration.

According to Nauseda, Lithuania and Latvia have no issues in their bilateral relations, and the restoration of internal borders would signal a failure to protect the European Union's (EU) external frontier. He said the focus should remain on strengthening external border security to minimize the need for internal checks.

This year, 8,070 migrants have been prevented from crossing the Latvian border illegally, which is nine times more than the number of migrants attempting to enter Lithuania from Belarus. In Lithuania, border guards have forced 903 illegal migrants to turn back.

Data from the Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior show that last year, 1,200 illegal migrants were detained in Lithuania, some of whom had been transported from Latvia and others who were traveling on their own, which is approximately two and a half times more than in 2024, when the number was 540.

Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas had previously raised the possibility of restoring border controls.

Rinkevics said the interior ministers of both countries discussed the issue on Wednesday, agreeing that the focus should remain on existing control measures, including more efficient migrant returns.

It was reported this week that, as part of Lithuania's ongoing support mission to Latvia, nine border guards, including two dog handlers, will be deployed. The group will replace officers who have been stationed in Latvia since July 1. Nauseda said cooperation in this area was strong and could be further intensified.

The Latvian president added that Riga was ready to assist Lithuania should threats emerge at its border, mentioning other practical initiatives to strengthen security without providing further details.

The influx of migrants into eastern EU member states from Belarus began in 2021, with Western countries accusing the Minsk regime of orchestrating the crisis. Since the start of the crisis, Lithuanian border guards have prevented more than 25,500 foreigners from entering the country illegally.