RIGA, Dec 30 (LETA) - Border guards on Wednesday, December 29, prevented 28 people from illegally entering Latvia from Belarus, the State Border Guard informed LETA.

Latvia had seen an increase in the number migrants attempting to illegally cross the border from Belarus in recent weeks, with the largest number recorded last Thursday - 103.

Before that the average number of persons attempting to illegally enter Latvia was 20-30 migrants per day.

Since August 10, a total of 3,913 persons have been deterred from illegally crossing from Belarus into Latvia.

In the past 24 hours no persons have been detained for illegal border crossing.

Since a state of emergency was declared in regions at the Latvian-Belarusian border on August 11, a total of 94 illegal immigrants have been allowed to enter Latvia on humanitarian grounds, and 446 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 that will run from August 11 until November 10, 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.