Estonia transfers 11 undocumented migrants to Latvia

The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board has handed over more than 11 undocumented migrants to Latvian border authorities at the Ikla border crossing. The individuals, originating from Somalia, Morocco, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, had entered Estonia illegally within the last few months after previously crossing from Belarus into Latvia.

On August 12, four men and one woman were transferred, followed by six men on August 13. According to the migrants, their intention was to use Estonia as a transit route to reach other Schengen Area countries.

Indrek Aru, head of the Northern Prefecture's Border Guard Bureau, noted that deportations require extensive work to verify identities, origins, and intentions while assessing potential risks to national security and public order. He highlighted that while Estonia has felt increased migration pressure in recent weeks, neighboring countries like Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have faced significantly higher pressure for several years. Latvia is currently launching a national operation to allocate additional resources to combat hybrid attacks and strengthen regional border security.