MTI-Nepsva;
Latvia, Russia, state of emergency.
2022-09-27 22:04:00
Many want to avoid being taken to the Ukrainian front.
Latvia on Tuesday ordered to declare a state of emergency on its shared border with Russia due to partial Russian mobilization, according to MTI.
The emergency legal order just introduced provides the authorities of the Baltic states with additional tools for border protection, as well as a faster organization of border control, in the event that the number of people fleeing military conscription from Russia continues to rise. The measure will remain in effect for three months in the eastern regions of the Baltic state, including border crossings as well as airports and train stations.
The Riga administration also ordered the closure of the Bidzi border crossing, and instructed the border guards to closely monitor the border.
The Ministry of the Interior in Riga has stated that it is keeping the situation on the Latvian-Russian border under control, and is currently stable. Following the partial mobilization in Russia ordered last week, the number of Russian citizens traveling abroad has increased significantly, and according to the ministry, there are fears that the number of illegal immigrants will also rise.
Since September 19, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have imposed entry restrictions into the Schengen area for Russians with EU visas who come for tourism, culture, sports and business purposes. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior in Riga, 57 Russian citizens have since been returned at the border, 2,475 were allowed to enter legally, while 2,332 were returned to Russia. Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevix has already announced that the Latvian authorities will not issue humanitarian visas to Russians fleeing the mobilization for security reasons.
Latvia also shares a border with Belarus, and a state of emergency has been imposed on this part of the border since August 2021, when thousands of migrants attempted to cross illegally into the European Union.
