The article by Edgars Voļskis provides an analytical overview of Latvia's challenges and responses regarding border security and migration as of August 2026. It focuses on the newly launched operation 'Vilkatis', a coordinated effort by Latvian security and defense institutions to counter intensifying attempts of illegal border crossings from Belarus, including the recent discovery of a tunnel used for migrant smuggling. Nearly 9,500 attempts were blocked by mid-August, signaling a significant pressure on Latvian border control. Illegal migration is highlighted not just as a legal and security issue but also as a form of external hybrid warfare targeting Latvia's sovereignty and public trust in state institutions. The article underscores that strict border control is essential to maintain lawful migration and humane integration policies rather than an anti-migration stance. It presents detailed 2025 migration data showing a slight negative migration balance, substantial return migration, and increased legal residence permits issued, including temporary permits to Ukrainians under protection. The Latvian diaspora, numbering over 255,000 registered citizens abroad (possibly up to half a million including descendants), plays a key role economically and socially, with remittances constituting about 3.1% of GDP. The author advocates strengthening links with diaspora abroad, improving return pathways, and supporting legal migrants with integration programs to foster economic participation and respect for Latvian law and culture. Overall, the balanced strategy promotes rigorous border control alongside fostering legal migration and diaspora engagement as complementary elements reinforcing Latvia's labor market, public finance stability, and resilience against hybrid warfare threats.

The article by Edgars Voļskis provides an analytical overview of Latvia's challenges and responses regarding border security and migration as of August 2026. It focuses on the newly launched operation 'Vilkatis', a coordinated effort by Latvian security and defense institutions to counter intensifying attempts of illegal border crossings from Belarus, including the recent discovery of a tunnel used for migrant smuggling. Nearly 9,500 attempts were blocked by mid-August, signaling a significant pressure on Latvian border control. Illegal migration is highlighted not just as a legal and security issue but also as a form of external hybrid warfare targeting Latvia's sovereignty and public trust in state institutions. The article underscores that strict border control is essential to maintain lawful migration and humane integration policies rather than an anti-migration stance. It presents detailed 2025 migration data showing a slight negative migration balance, substantial return migration, and increased legal residence permits issued, including temporary permits to Ukrainians under protection. The Latvian diaspora, numbering over 255,000 registered citizens abroad (possibly up to half a million including descendants), plays a key role economically and socially, with remittances constituting about 3.1% of GDP. The author advocates strengthening links with diaspora abroad, improving return pathways, and supporting legal migrants with integration programs to foster economic participation and respect for Latvian law and culture. Overall, the balanced strategy promotes rigorous border control alongside fostering legal migration and diaspora engagement as complementary elements reinforcing Latvia's labor market, public finance stability, and resilience against hybrid warfare threats.