{"id":2748,"date":"2023-05-22T20:05:58","date_gmt":"2023-05-22T18:05:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gribupalidzetbegliem.lv\/?p=2748"},"modified":"2024-11-20T11:22:44","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T09:22:44","slug":"on-access-to-right-to-asylum-at-the-latvian-belarusian-border","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gribupalidzetbegliem.lv\/en\/2023\/05\/22\/on-access-to-right-to-asylum-at-the-latvian-belarusian-border\/","title":{"rendered":"On the need to observe the right to asylum at the Latvia-Belarus border and the legal\u00a0action\u00a0against Ieva Raubi\u0161ko, staff member of the\u00a0organization\u00a0\u201cI want to help refugees\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On the need to observe the right to asylum at the Latvia-Belarus border and the legal action against Ieva Raubi\u0161ko, staff member of the organization \u201cI want to help refugees\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since August 2021, people have been arriving at Latvia-Belarus border with the goal of crossing the so-called green border (where there are no official crossing points) and seeking asylum. The flow of people has been inconsistent: in the summer of 2023, there were an average of 35 attempts to cross the border daily; yet the number of border crossings tripled in the autumn of 2023, with an average of 106 cases per day in September and 93 per day in October. Border crossings saw a significant decline in November 2023, with an average of 28 per day. This trend continued in December 2023, with an average of 4 per day or a total of 135 for the entire month. Only 5 people attempted to cross the Latvia-Belarus border in January 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most people who tried to cross the border were denied entry and returned to the territory of Belarus, in other words: pushed back. Latvia is bound by international conventions and the laws of the European Union, which stipulate that every foreigner has the right to apply for asylum even if he\/she tries to cross the border unlawfully. Deterring people from the border crossing in the winter months risks serious health damage or even death. \u201cI want to help refugees\u201d possesses information about several individuals who died or had their limbs amputated after their prolonged attempts to cross the Latvia-Belarus border with the aim to seek asylum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was the main reason why Ieva Raubi\u0161ko, an employee of \u201cI want to help refugees\u201d, turned to the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of five Syrian nationals in January 2023. Having received recurring pleas for help from the group of Syrian asylum seekers who had been repeatedly pushed back from Latvia to Belarus since mid-December 2023, Raubi\u0161ko was worried about their lives and health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the Court\u2019s decision to impose interim measures on this group of Syrian asylum seekers, Raubi\u0161ko and Egils Grasmanis, a member of \u201cI want to help refugees,\u201d headed to the Latvia-Belarus border to ensure the Court\u2019s decision was carried out and offer much-needed humanitarian assistance to Syrian citizens. For these actions criminal proceedings were initiated against Raubi\u0161ko and Grasmanis, and later a charge was brought against Raubi\u0161ko for facilitating an unlawful border crossing for a group of people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A number of Latvian non-governmental organizations<\/a>, as well as the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the European Commissioner for Human Rights<\/a>, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders<\/a>, have expressed criticism and worries over the criminalization of human rights defenders\u2019 activities in Latvia where the existing legislation heavily restricts asylum rights. In response to the events occurring at the Latvia-Belarus border, \u201cI want to help refugees\u201d has prepared a comprehensive list of questions and answers emphasizing the importance of protecting the right to asylum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. What is happening at the Latvia-Belarus border?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      1. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Nearly every day in the last three years, individuals have attempted to cross the \u201cgreen border\u201d between Latvia and Belarus. This migration route is not new: since the restoration of Latvia\u2019s independence, the southeast land border has been a popular entry point for different groups of border crossers. But, starting from summer 2021, this movement has become much more vigorous, with the Belarussian regime, led by Alexander Lukashenko, actively aiding the arrival of third-country citizens to Belarus and directing them towards the neighbouring European Union countries of Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Many individuals who arrive at the Latvia-Belarus border come from countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, and Cuba, affected by civil war, armed conflicts, protests against the ruling regime, and other forms of political instability. Citizens of these countries are capitalising on the opportunity to travel to Russia and Belarus in the hope of continuing their journey to the EU and applying for asylum in one of the EU countries. No significant changes are expected this year, and similar trends are also observed in Lithuania, Poland, as well as in other migration routes to the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        2. How do people get to the Latvia-Belarus border?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        In 2021, foreigners arrived in the Belarusian capital Minsk on plane flights mostly from Iraq or Turkey, but since the second half of 2022, most people have entered Belarus via Russia. According to the available information, foreigners arrive on a plane flight in the Russian capital Moscow from where they travel to Belarus, at least part of the way with the help of a driver. In many cases, people enter Belarus in a way that does not comply with the law, that is, without a visa. In Belarus, migrants often rely onanother driver to help them reach the border with Latvia, Lithuania, or Poland. People try to cross the \u201cgreen border\u201d and end up in a peculiar trap. The Latvian State Border Guard is deterring them from crossing the border, while the Belarusian Border Guard and other services are putting obstacles to prevent them from returning to Minsk or other Belarusian cities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        3. How many people are trying to cross the Latvia-Belarus border?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The State Border Guard (SBG) publishes three types of data: the number of people stopped from crossing the border the previous day, the total number of people stopped since the beginning of the year and the number of people allowed to enter Latvia on humanitarian grounds. According to the SBG, until June 30, 2024, 2,570 people have already been deterred from crossing the state border, but a relatively small number – 12 people – have been admitted on humanitarian grounds. A total of 13,863 people were deterred from crossing the state border in 2023, while 428 were allowed to enter Latvia on humanitarian grounds. In 2022, 5,286 people were deterred from crossing the border, and 217 were admitted on humanitarian grounds. In 2021, a total of 4,045 people were deterred from crossing the border, and 94 were allowed to enter on humanitarian grounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Importantly, the total number of people stopped from crossing the border is the sum of daily deterred individuals, and this count may include repeated attempts by the same people even within a day. Thus, the total number of people deterred cannot accurately reflect the actual number of people at the border<\/strong>. In the summer months of 2023 \u2013 June, July and August \u2013 there were on average 35 attempts to cross the border on a daily basis, while in autumn 2023 the number of attempted crossings tripled, reaching an average of 106 cases per day in September and 93 per day in October. In November, the number of border crossings fell again significantly to an average of 28 per day, and in December the border-crossing attempts dropped to an average of 4 per day, or 135 across the whole month. Only 5 people attempted to cross the Latvian-Belarusian border in January 2024, however, by June 2024, this number had surged to 427 attempts within 30 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        4. Why is it against the EU and international law to hinder individuals from crossing the border (known as pushbacks) and what does it entail?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        From August 10, 2021, to August 9, 2023, Cabinet order No. 518 \u201cOn Declaring an Emergency Situation\u201d<\/a> in was in force in Ludza, Kr\u0101slava, Upper Daugava counties and the city of Daugavpils. Under that order, representatives of not only the SBG, but also the National Armed Forces and the State Police had the right to stop attempts of individuals to unlawfully cross the border, as well as to order those who had already crossed the border to return to the neighbouring country, in this case Belarus. Service personnel were authorized to use physical force and special means, including batons, electric shock devices, gas cylinders, vision restricting agents, irritant or paralysing substances, smoke candles, as well as gas, light, noise and rubber charge grenades, to enforce the return order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        On August 10, 2023, the state of emergency was lifted, and an enhanced border protection system was introduced in the mentioned border areas, as per Governmental Order No. 514.<\/a> The Order No. 514 remained in force till February 10, 2024. This regime also involved support from the National Armed Forces and the State Police to prevent unlawful border crossing. It also enabled law enforcement officers to enter residential and non-residential areas and parcels of land to capture or locate individuals who have crossed the border unlawfully. In accordance with the Order, the State Border Guard was responsible for providing food and essential items to individuals who attempted to illegally cross the border and could be stopped from doing so. Where necessary, border-crossers had to be provided with medical assistance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        In June 2023, the Latvian Parliament approved amendments to the State Border Guard Law<\/a>. These amendments state that one of the tasks of the border guard is to prevent illegal crossing of the state border, and one of the duties is to prevent people from entering the country at an unauthorised place and time, unless there are objectively justified circumstances for entry. Border guards may use physical force, special combat techniques and special means, as well as service dogs, to deter people from crossing the border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        On 29 August 2023, the government approved amendments to the \u201cRegulations regarding the Types of Special Means and Procedures for their Use by Police Officers and Border Guards.\u201d<\/a> <\/strong>These amendments stipulate that in addition to the special means already in use such as batons, electric shock devices, gas cylinders, smoke candles and grenades, gas, light and noise grenades, border guards will also be able to use \u201csound devices with a psychological effect\u201d i.e. long-range acoustic devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        In 2024, anticipating warmer summer weather and noting an increase in illegal border crossing attempts in March, the Cabinet of Ministers announced an enhanced border protection system.<\/a> This measure will be in effect from March 13 to September 12. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The above-mentioned amendments legalise the deterrence of potential asylum seekers from crossing the border unlawfully (pushbacks) and thus violate their right to asylum and undermine their right to health, life, and safety. The right to asylum is enshrined in the 1951 Geneva Convention on the status of Refugees, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and EU law<\/strong>, including Directive 2013\/32\/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection, Directive 2013\/33\/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection, and Regulation (EU) 2016\/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders, i.e. the Schengen Borders Code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Any third-country national shall have the right to apply for asylum even if he\/she crosses or has crossed the border in an unlawful manner<\/strong>. This principle is recognised in Latvian law and was reaffirmed by the Court of Justice of the European Union in its judgment of 30 June 2022, in Case C-72\/22 PPU on Lithuania\u2019s actions in the mass detention of persons crossing the border illegally. The Court noted that any third-country national or stateless person has the right to claim international protection in the territory of a Member State, including at its borders or in transit zones, even if he\/she is illegally present in that territory. In addition, Directive 2013\/32\/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection stipulates that applicants have the right to remain in the territory while their application is being assessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Pushing border crossers off the border also violates the principle of non-refoulement as set out in the Article 33 of the 1951 Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees and in the Article 19(2) of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.<\/strong> Under these articles, individuals may not be deported to their country of origin or transit, in this case Belarus, if they would be in danger of death or torture in that country. Furthermore, individuals should not be exposed to chain refoulement<\/strong>, whereby they could be deported to their country of origin or any other country (in this case Russia) where they could be at risk of torture and inhuman treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        5. How are people pushed back from the border?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The SBG has reiterated that the use of force to deter border crossers is a last resort, in compliance with the law and service protocols. Medical support, as well as water and food, is provided to the deterred people if necessary. However, \u201cI want to help refugees\u201d have received testimonies from several border crossers about physical and emotional violence (beatings, use of electric shock, threats and hate speech), including from representatives of unidentified units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        People are pushed back without documentary checks and identification, according to the SBG, so their nationality, age and other defining information remain unknown. Border crossers are also subjected to violence while in Belarus as Belarusian border guards and other personnel force them to return to Latvia and prevent them from returning to Minsk or other cities. Caught \u201cbetween borders\u201d for extended periods of time, people face significant risks to their physical and mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        6. What prevents individuals from utilizing the designated border crossing points and seeking asylum there?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The current legal framework allows individuals to request asylum at official border crossing points. One such point is currently operational at the Latvia-Belarus border in P\u0101tarnieki. The other border crossing point in Silene was closed on 19 September 2023. In addition, asylum can be requested at the centre for detained foreigners in Daugavpils, but not at the \u201cgreen border\u201d. Yet travelling with the help of a smuggler in a way that does not comply with the law makes it virtually impossible for people to reach official border crossing points. The Belarusian authorities also prevent people from reaching the official crossing points. As mentioned above, Belarusian officers direct border crossers to the \u201cgreen border\u201d, where they are forced to go to Latvia through openings in the border fence. Latvian border guards likewise prohibit people caught at the land border from going to official border crossing points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Thus, even if the asylum procedure is partially ensured, it is de facto not available.<\/strong> It is noteworthy that the Latvian Ombudsman\u2019s 2022 report<\/a> stresses the need to secure access to the asylum procedure and mitigate the risks of inhumane treatment, particularly for vulnerable groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        7. In what cases are people allowed to enter Latvia on humanitarian grounds?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        According to Article 6(5c) of Regulation (EU) 2016\/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders, countries may allow people to enter for humanitarian reasons, which is also implemented in Latvia. Those permitted to enter mainly include families with children, unaccompanied minors, border-crossers with severe health problems, and elderly people. People allowed to enter for humanitarian reasons are initially detained in accommodation centres for foreign detainees in Daugavpils or Mucenieki. There they can start their asylum procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        However, the evidence gathered by our organisation suggests that individual circumstances of vulnerable persons are not always consistently assessed <\/strong>and considered: both families with children and unaccompanied minors have been pushed back. Moreover, the principle of family unity has not always been respected in decisions to admit or not to admit persons to Latvia<\/strong>: there have been cases when part of the family have been pushed away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Pushing border-crossers back to Belarus without sufficient consideration of their individual circumstances (for example, without verification of identity documents, which makes it impossible to ascertain their age and family ties) violates the prohibition on collective expulsion of foreigners under the European Convention on Human Rights as set out by Article 4 Protocol No. 4 to the Convention and by Article 19(1) of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The prohibition of collective expulsion means that states cannot deport groups of foreigners without assessing their individual circumstances and giving them the opportunity to present their objections to the actions taken by the national authorities. The European Court of Human Rights has made several judgments, such as M.A. v Cyprus, 41872\/10; Hirsi Jamaa and Others v. Italy [GC] \u2013 27765\/09; M. H. and others v. Croatia, 15670\/18 and 43115\/18; Shahzad v. Hungary, 12625\/17; M.K. and Others v. Poland 40503\/17, 42902\/17 and 43643\/17, ordering compensations for breaches of the prohibition of collective expulsion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        8. Have people died at the Latvian-Belarusian border?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        According to publicly available information, eleven people have died at the Latvian-Belarusian border. In December 2022, a man from Afghanistan suffered fatal frostbites and lost his life at Rezekne hospital, while in April 2023 a woman from Syria passed away at Daugavpils hospital. Both victims were taken to medical facilities from the Latvia-Belarus border. Since October 2023, the remains of nine unidentified people have been found in the border area. As the identities of the deceased were not established, they were buried in the Za\u0161\u010dirina cemetery in the Kr\u0101slava municipality and in the Silene Orthodox cemetery in the Aug\u0161daugava municipality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        According to public information on the situation at the EU-Belarus border, 32 people have died in the border area of Belarus, 5 in the border area of Latvia, 5 in the border area of Lithuania, and 50 in the border area of Poland. These victims are just the visible part of the iceberg. The exact number of missing and dead at the Latvia-Belarus border is unknown. Non-governmental organizations working at the EU-Belarus border have received a total of ~400 requests for assistance from people seeking their missing relatives from Syria, Iraq, Yemen, India, Afghanistan, Somalia and other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Our organisation has been approached by several people who suffered from frostbite in their hands and\/or legs and later had their limbs amputated due to prolonged stays at the Latvia-Belarus border and being forcibly moved back and forth between the two sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        9. No one is illegal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The terms \u201cillegal immigrant\u201d and \u201cillegal immigration\u201d are frequently employed in relation to the situation at the Latvia-Belarus border. This approach could be considered stereotyping, as approved by the Latvian Public Media Ombud<\/a> to whom one of the cases was referred by our organisation. It should be noted that not only do people attempting to cross the EU\u2019s external borders predominantly become asylum seekers, but the very term \u201cillegal migrant\u201d is recognised as undesirable (see e.g. the glossary<\/a> of the International Organization for Migration). From a legal and ethical perspective, an action or procedure may be deemed illegal, but not an individual<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        No one is illegal!<\/strong> We call for the use of neutral terms like \u201cborder crossers,\u201d \u201cforeigners,\u201d or \u201cmigrants\u201d when referring to people attempting to cross the border, especially when more comprehensive terms like \u201cindividuals\u201d or \u201chumans\u201d are not appropriate. We also insist on using alternative language instead of the term \u201cillegal immigration\u201d when discussing complex migration situations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Since August 2021, people have been arriving at Latvia-Belarus border with the goal of crossing the so-called green border (where there are no official crossing points) and seeking asylum. The flow of people has been inconsistent: in the summer of 2023, there were an average of 35 attempts to cross the border daily; yet the number of border crossings tripled in the autumn of 2023, with an average of 106 cases per day in September and 93 per day in October. Border crossings saw a significant decline in November 2023, with an average of 28 per day. This trend continued in December 2023, with an average of 4 per day or a total of 135 for the entire month. Only 5 people attempted to cross the Latvia-Belarus border in January 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2115,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"pgc_sgb_lightbox_settings":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[34,30,28,33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-english-users-en","category-human-rights-for-all","category-initiatives-implemented","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nOn the need to observe the right to asylum at the Latvia-Belarus border and the legal\u00a0action\u00a0against Ieva Raubi\u0161ko, staff member of the\u00a0organization\u00a0\u201cI want to help refugees\u201d - Gribu pal\u012bdz\u0113t b\u0113g\u013ciem<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gribupalidzetbegliem.lv\/en\/2023\/05\/22\/on-access-to-right-to-asylum-at-the-latvian-belarusian-border\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"On the need to observe the right to asylum at the Latvia-Belarus border and the legal\u00a0action\u00a0against Ieva Raubi\u0161ko, staff member of the\u00a0organization\u00a0\u201cI want to help refugees\u201d - Gribu pal\u012bdz\u0113t b\u0113g\u013ciem\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Since August 2021, people have been arriving at Latvia-Belarus border with the goal of crossing the so-called green border (where there are no official crossing points) and seeking asylum. The flow of people has been inconsistent: in the summer of 2023, there were an average of 35 attempts to cross the border daily; yet the number of border crossings tripled in the autumn of 2023, with an average of 106 cases per day in September and 93 per day in October. Border crossings saw a significant decline in November 2023, with an average of 28 per day. This trend continued in December 2023, with an average of 4 per day or a total of 135 for the entire month. 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