Estonia's Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) handed over eight Ethiopian men to the Latvian border guard at the Ikla border crossing point at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, August 5.
The eight men had stayed in Estonia without a legal basis after arriving from Belarus via Latvia. They intended to move to other Schengen countries through Estonia, but none of the individuals chose to apply for international protection. One of the men claimed to be a minor, though this was not confirmed.
The readmission of individuals staying in the country illegally has been regulated by an agreement between Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania since 1995.
Regional Migration Pressure
Indrek Aru, Head of the Border Guard Bureau of the North Prefecture, stated that Estonian police maintain constant contact with Latvian and Lithuanian colleagues. Aru said that the common assessment is that migration pressure will not subside in the near future.
Detained by Estonian police since July in connection to migratory pressure from Belarus on the Latvian border.
EU authorities have described the migration route as a hybrid attack organized by the Belarusian regime.
