RIGA, Jan 31 (LETA) - Border guards on Sunday prevented 44 people from illegally entering Latvia from Belarus, the State Border Guard informed LETA.

Since August 10, 2021, a total of 5,477 persons have been deterred from illegally crossing from Belarus into Latvia.

No persons were detained for illegal border crossing on Sunday.

Since a state of emergency was declared in regions at the Latvian-Belarusian border on August 11, 2021, a total of 113 illegal immigrants have been allowed to enter Latvia on humanitarian grounds, and 465 people have been detained for illegal border crossing.

As reported, taking into consideration the steeply increasing numbers of illegal immigrants trying to cross into Latvia from Belarus, the government has declared a state of emergency to run from August 11 until November 10, 2021, and then extended to February 10, 2022, in the following municipalities: Ludza Region, Kraslava Region, Augsdaugava Region, and the City of Daugavpils.

Latvian authorities consider attempts by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko's regime to push migrants across Latvian, Lithuanian and Polish borders are methods of hybrid warfare targeting these countries.