Estonian police unit deploys to assist at Latvia-Belarus border

Estonian police unit deploys to assist at Latvia-Belarus border. Photo: Arvo Meeks

The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board's ESTPOL9 team embarked on a journey to Latvia on Monday to assist in tackling the recent surge of irregular immigration attempts at the Latvia-Belarus border.

The primary goal of ESTPOL9 is to participate in land patrols. The team includes a dog handler with a dog and has the capability to monitor the border with drones. Additionally, the team is trained and experienced in crowd control if needed.

The police officers will be working in the Kaplava and Robežnieki areas, where the highest number of recent attempts at irregular border crossing have been recorded. The team, which set off on Monday, will work in Latvia for two weeks, after which another rotation will replace them. If necessary, the Police and Border Guard Board is prepared to assist their southern neighbors for a longer period, but this will be decided in cooperation with the Latvian border guard in the future.

In the first three weeks of July, the Latvian border guard has prevented 730 attempts to unlawfully enter the country. To cope with the increasing pressure, the Latvian border guard requested assistance from Estonia last week. On Monday, the Police and Border Guard Board dispatched an 11-strong team, which will begin patrolling the Latvia-Belarus border on Tuesday.

Border Guard Chief Veiko Kommusaar said that it is important to help friends in difficult times.

«The migration attack from Belarus is not just Latvia's concern -- this is a shared European Union and NATO border, and Estonia is ready to contribute to its protection without hesitation. Our border has also been provoked, and our response tested, so it is crucial for our officers to gain practical experience in countering migration attacks. These experiences will be invaluable should a similar situation arise at our own border,» Kommusaar said.

ESTPOL9 team leader Raido Onopa said the team is ready to start work on the Latvia-Belarus border tomorrow.

«The Police and Border Guard Board's personnel have the skills, knowledge, and willingness to assist our southern neighbors. Despite the likely busy days ahead, the team was assembled smoothly, and I believe we can be of great support to our neighbors,» Onopa said.

Previously, the Police and Border Guard Board's unit ESTPOL8 supported Latvia last fall, also assisting in guarding the Latvia-Belarus border. From Sept. 20 to Nov. 15, units from the Police and Border Guard Board helped apprehend over 900 irregular border crossers at the Latvia-Belarus border.