Latvia uncovers first migrant tunnel from Belarus near border fence, detains 15
Latvian authorities discovered a tunnel used by migrants to cross illegally from Belarus into Latvia, Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava announced on Tuesday. The 10-meter-long underground passage was found near the border fence in the Silene sector, where border guards, military personnel, and police detected 15 individuals who had entered the country through the tunnel on Monday.
Dombrava confirmed this was the first such tunnel uncovered in Latvia, ordering electronic scans to check for additional underground crossings along the border. The State Border Guard said the tunnel was located 10 meters from the fence in Skrudaliena parish, Augsdaugava municipality, and that operational intelligence had previously indicated possible tunnel construction in the area.
Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs described the smuggling of migrants via Belarus as a “hybrid threat” linked to the allied regimes in Minsk and Moscow. He stated that criminal networks were exploiting Belarus to transport migrants into Latvia—and thus the Schengen zone—with most intending to reach other EU countries. Kulbergs announced “Operation Werwolf,” a targeted crackdown on transport networks and logistics hubs used by smugglers, and pledged cooperation with neighboring Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland.
Lithuania reported a similar discovery in July, uncovering a tunnel along its border with Belarus. Latvian border guards had previously observed migrants using tools like metal shears and homemade ladders to breach the fence, but the tunnel marks a new method of illegal entry.
The 15 migrants were detained and returned to their country of origin under Article 4 of Latvia’s State Border Guard Law. Dombrava said authorities would assess further preventive measures, including ground scans of Latvia’s external land border to determine if other tunnels exist.
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Latvian authorities have discovered a tunnel used by migrants to cross the border from Belarus illegally amid long-standing concerns that Minsk is weaponizing migration against the EU.
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