Latvia has become the latest focus of what EU governments describe as Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenka's campaign to use migration as a tool of political pressure against the bloc's eastern frontier.
After years in which Latvia, Lithuania and Poland shared the bulk of irregular crossings from Belarus, Latvian authorities say the pressure has now shifted towards their border. The increase comes just months before Latvia's parliamentary elections on 3 October, raising concerns that Minsk is once again seeking to exploit migration to destabilise the region.
