Latvia's border becomes more exclusive than a Liepāja café – three people denied entry

On Thursday, Latvian border guards demonstrated selection policies as strict as Liepāja's finest cafés on a Saturday evening. Three third-country nationals discovered that entering Latvia is as complicated as finding a free spot at Liepāja market on a Sunday morning.

At the Pāternieki border control point, one Moldovan citizen discovered that you can only stay in the Schengen zone for a limited time, not as long as you'd like. This revelation cost him as dearly as trying to sell fish at Liepāja port without a license.

Meanwhile, one underage Latvian citizen learned that a mother's blessing isn't enough for departure – you also need the other parent's notarized consent. A father's signature, it turns out, is as important as a ticket for the Liepāja tram.

Overall, in 24 hours the border guard identified 35 violators, which is more than the number of tourists visible in central Liepāja in March. But as one border guard said: "We're stricter than Liepāja's winter wind – nobody gets through without proper documents."