Lithuania tightens border monitoring amid rise in migration from Latvia

Lithuania has announced tougher monitoring measures along its border with Latvia as authorities seek to curb a sharp increase in what officials describe as secondary migration flows.

The country's Interior Ministry said the measures would include greater use of surveillance technology and increased patrols in border areas, transport hubs, passenger services, airports and seaports, Caliber.Az reports, citing Lithuanian media.

Interior Minister Vladislavas Kondratovičius ordered the changes in response to growing numbers of migrants entering Lithuania after first arriving in neighbouring Latvia.

Officials stressed that the move does not amount to the reintroduction of border controls within the Schengen free-travel area. Instead, checks will be carried out on the basis of intelligence and risk assessments, in line with European Union rules.

Lithuania's State Border Guard Service (VSAT) has been tasked with coordinating the operation, with support from police, customs and public security authorities.

The ministry said the enhanced measures would help identify cases of irregular migration more quickly and improve cooperation between agencies involved in migration management.

According to official figures, 1,288 migrants travelling through Latvia were detained last year, compared with 540 in 2024.

Authorities say the trend has accelerated further this year. Between 1 January and 19 June, Lithuanian officials detained 1,288 foreign nationals who had entered via what is known as the "Latvian route" — four times the number recorded during the same period a year earlier.

The government says tighter controls along Lithuania's border with Belarus have prompted migration routes to shift towards neighbouring countries.

Since the migration crisis began in 2021, Lithuania has recorded more than 25,000 attempts to cross its border illegally from Belarus, according to official data.

While describing the current situation as stable, the Interior Ministry said it was closely coordinating with neighbouring countries to address the increase in secondary migration.

By Aghakazim Guliyev