On Thursday, 12 August, the Saeima supported the government's order to declare a state of emergency in Ludza, Krāslava, and Augšdaugava Municipalities, as well as in the city of Daugavpils from 11 August to 10 November.

The state of emergency was declared in view of the sharp increase in the number of illegal crossings of the Latvian‑Belarusian border, as well as the substantial number of illegal crossings of the Lithuanian‑Belarusian border detected in Lithuania.

Pursuant to the Order, the State Boarder Guard has been authorised to use physical force and special means to immediately return a person to the country from which they illegally crossed the state border.

In the territories under the state of emergency, the State Boarder Guard units and other institutions will not accept applications regarding the granting of refugee or alternative status.

The National Armed Forces, in cooperation with the State Boarder Guard and the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, have been charged with providing space and infrastructure to accommodate persons who have crossed the Latvia-Belarus border illegally, as well as persons coming from Belarus who have applied for refugee or alternative status. Additionally, an exception to the Public Procurement Law has been authorised to ensure the accommodation, food, and basic necessities for asylum seekers arriving from Belarus.

The measures for the enforcement of the Order, including overtime work and travel expenses of the staff of the institutions involved, will be financed from the state budget funds allocated to the institutions for this purpose, as well as from the emergency funds of the state budget, following a substantiated request from the institutions. In such cases, the decision on whether to allocate the funding will be made by the Cabinet of Ministers, as set out in the Order.

If necessary, the Cabinet of Ministers may decide to request international assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, NATO, as well as other international cooperation organisations and platforms.

Saeima Press Service