Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki will meet with his Latvian counterpart, Edgars Rinkevics, during a working visit to Latvia on 11 December 2025, LSM reports. The two presidents will discuss security issues, specifically the war in Ukraine, migratory pressure from Belarus, and the situation in the Baltic Sea. Also, Nawrocki will meet with Latvian Prime Minister…
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) urges Lithuania to reconsider its policy of turning back irregular migrants at the border with Belarus, BNS reports. Annika Sandlund, UNHCR representative to the Nordic and Baltic countries, said that Lithuania should review its emergency legislation that allows pushbacks. Even though irregular migrants were being used for…
The Lithuanian government has decided to accept half of allocated migrants into the country and pay for the remainder under the EU’s migration and asylum pact, the Ministry of Interior announced, ELTA reports. The ministry said that the decision was based on an assessment of national capacity, the regional migration situation, and the ability of…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved amendments reducing state support for Ukrainian refugees in Latvia, LSM reports. The government will allocate EUR 39.7mn of budget funds to support Ukrainians in the country in 2026, which will be down from EUR 65mn in 2025. The government will stop support to those Ukrainians who have found…
Poland has temporarily reinstated internal controls at 13 checkpoints on its border with Lithuania in response to increased secondary irregular migration via Belarus, LRT reports. Both Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) and the Lithuanian National Road Carriers Association (LINAVA) said that there were no traffic jams on the border on the first day of…
Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) has reported a sharp rise in secondary migration via Latvia, BNS reports. Altogether 352 irregular migrants who entered Latvia from Belarus were detained in Lithuania and Poland in the first half of 2025, which was up 2.5 times from 140 in the same period of 2024. Most of the…
The Lithuanian government has asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate crimes against humanity committed by the Belarusian regime, LRT reports. The alleged crimes include forced deportations, persecution of opposition supporters, and other instances of cruel treatment, the Ministry of Justice stated. The ministry examined evidence provided by the Belarusian opposition and other sources….
Latvia’s State Border Guard (VRS) has procured high-power speaker devices meant for psychological deterrence, LETA reports. VRS purchased the sound devices from Lithuania’s NT Service for around EUR 150,000. VRS has deployed the devices to Latvia’s eastern border to deter the illegal entry of large groups of people into the country. The non-lethal devices can…
The Lithuanian government has decided to restructure the country’s Refugee Reception Centre (PPC) into the Reception and Integration Agency (PIA) as of 2025, BNS reports. The new agency will operate under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. The agency will ensure temporary accommodation and other assistance for foreign migrants and asylum applicants.