Belarus shifts migrant routes toward Latvia, creating new pressure point for the EU
Belarus has shifted migrant routes toward Latvia's border, forcing Riga to call on its neighbors for support as the Baltic state heads into an election campaign. Lithuania is now considering temporary border controls to manage a rise in secondary migration from Latvia.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko's government has shifted migrant routes toward Latvia's border, according to officials, redirecting pressure that had previously fallen on Poland and Lithuania toward Riga instead.
Latvia's government has called on neighboring countries for support in managing the rising number of crossings. The shift comes at a sensitive time, as the Baltic state heads into an election campaign that has brought migration to the forefront of domestic politics.
Lithuanian officials said they are now considering temporary border controls to manage an increase in secondary migration arriving via Latvia. EU officials repeated accusations that Belarus is using migration as a tool of pressure against the bloc.
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