Latvia's border becomes more popular than the Northern Pier: 65 tourists tried to enter without tickets over the weekend

While Riga is still trying to figure out why people would even want to come to Latvia, our eastern border has become an unusually popular destination. Over the weekend, 65 visitors already tried to cross the border without proper documents, proving that our country has become as attractive as the Northern Pier during a storm.

The Border Guard reports that 260 people have already tried to unofficially enter the country this year, which is significantly fewer than last year's 12,046 attempts. "Word has obviously gotten out that it's just as cold here in winter as in Belarus," comments border guard Juris. "But the season will start again in spring."

The government has extended the enhanced border security regime until June 30, which means residents of Ludza and surrounding municipalities can feel as special as Liepāja locals when a cruise ship arrives. The only difference — our tourists at least know where the Northern Pier is located, and they don't need special documents to take a stroll there.

Last year, 31 migrants were allowed to cross the border for humanitarian reasons, proving that even our border guards are more cordial than Liepāja's tram ticket inspectors. Meanwhile, enhanced control continues in the northeastern regions, as local resident Valdis puts it: "We have such peace and quiet here that any additional person is immediately noticeable."