Latvia temporarily closed the border with Belarus
Interior Minister Janis Dombrava announced on X that the crossing is blocked due to "technical reasons" and called on passengers to use alternative routes.
Latvia temporarily closed the border with Belarus, Interior Minister Janis Dombrava announced on the X platform.
In a post on the social network, Dombrava wrote that the border is closed due to "technical reasons" and urged passengers to use alternative routes until the problem is resolved.
Context and previous measures
The Silene border crossing between Latvia and Belarus was closed in 2023, after Riga announced it had been under pressure from irregular migration which, it said, had been orchestrated by Minsk. Since then, Paternieki has remained the only operational crossing between the two countries.
This decision comes as part of other measures Latvia has introduced in recent years: bans on books, newspapers and video games from Russia and Belarus as part of broader activities related to controlling information and goods from those countries.
In his short post the minister did not provide additional technical details about the duration or reasons beyond citing "technical reasons." Passengers planning travel in the region are advised to check alternative routes and follow updated information before departure.
The temporary closure increases the scope of tightened controls along the Latvia-Belarus border, amid continued political tensions and measures for managing migration in the region.
Photo: Zackabier/YouTube
