Latvia grows worried over a surge of migrants attempting to cross from Belarus

By JARI TANNER
Associated Press

HELSINKI (AP) — Latvia is growing worried over the increasing number of migrants attempting to cross over into the Baltic nation through the border with Belarus and has called up the military to assist border guards. Latvia’s State Border Guard says 103 people were stopped in the 24 hours to Tuesday morning for trying to illegally cross the Latvia-Belarus border that runs a total of 173 kilometers (108 miles). A total of seven persons were allowed to enter Latvia, a European Union and NATO nation of 1.8 million, for humanitarian reasons. The number of people turned away at the Belarus border has remained at over 100 people on several days since the end of August – officials say the daily figure is substantially higher than earlier in the year.