Latvia has closed its border with Belarus citing technical reasons amid an increase in illegal crossings.

On Friday evening, Latvia closed its border with Belarus, citing technical reasons, in the context of an alarming increase in illegal migrant crossings, which authorities consider a hybrid attack organized by the regime of Alexander Lukashenko. The Minister of the Interior, Janis Dombrava, announced on social media that the border is closed and urged citizens to use alternative routes.

The Border Guard confirmed the existence of technical problems at the Pāternieki checkpoint, without providing further details about the duration of the closure. This year, nearly 9,000 migrants have been stopped from crossing the Latvian border from Belarus, and Latvia has requested assistance from Lithuania and Estonia.

Latvian authorities emphasize that Latvia is the number one target of migration actions orchestrated by Belarus, with migrants seeking new routes to Western and Northern Europe.