Since spring 2025, the Latvia-Belarus border near Daugavpils has faced a migration surge attributed to sophisticated criminal networks trafficking migrants from the Middle East and Africa via Belarus. Raimonds Kublickis of the Latvian Border Guard calls the crisis a ‘criminal business,’ highlighting the involvement of people smugglers who have adapted tactics to offer cheaper and more frequent illegal crossings. Latvia's Police and Border Guard Board requested and received a second police unit from Estonia in June 2025 to assist with increased patrols and border security. The smuggling operations are seen as part of Belarusian hybrid warfare tactics, leveraging migrant flows to destabilize EU border states. Latvian authorities continue to strengthen border defenses, emphasize regional cooperation, and warn against human trafficking threats orchestrated by Belarusian authorities or proxies amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region.

Since spring 2025, the Latvia-Belarus border near Daugavpils has faced a migration surge attributed to sophisticated criminal networks trafficking migrants from the Middle East and Africa via Belarus. Raimonds Kublickis of the Latvian Border Guard calls the crisis a ‘criminal business,’ highlighting the involvement of people smugglers who have adapted tactics to offer cheaper and more frequent illegal crossings. Latvia's Police and Border Guard Board requested and received a second police unit from Estonia in June 2025 to assist with increased patrols and border security. The smuggling operations are seen as part of Belarusian hybrid warfare tactics, leveraging migrant flows to destabilize EU border states. Latvian authorities continue to strengthen border defenses, emphasize regional cooperation, and warn against human trafficking threats orchestrated by Belarusian authorities or proxies amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region.