We know Estonia
25.5.2022 | Estonia

Temporary controls at Estonian-Latvian border to end today

Text Mark Taylor
Photo Ernests Vaga / Unsplash

Temporary controls at Estonian-Latvian border to end today

 

Temporary border controls introduced at the Estonian-Latvian border at the beginning of the Ukraine conflict will be lifted today. These controls were introduced to better understand the number of refugees entering the country and provide assistance to those in need.

As of today, more than 40,000 Ukrainian refugees have entered Estonia in response to the invasion of their country by Russia. As a result of the mass exodus, which saw more than 1 million people flee Ukraine in the first 10 days of the conflict alone. Temporary border controls began at the Estonian-Latvian border. The purpose being to monitor the number of arrivals from Ukraine and to provide necessary services to those in need, such as short-term accommodation.

In recent days, around 300 Ukrainian refugees a day have arrived in Estonia from Russia, while less than 100 have arrived from Latvia. Around half of those that arrive in Estonia are in transit, and simply passing through on their way to their final destination. 

According to the Minister of the Interior Kristian Jaani, the temporary border controls have served their purpose and helped the government to get useful information about those entering from Ukraine and provide services to those in need.

“The end of the border control will not prevent people leaving Ukraine from being assisted and referred to services at the border. Police patrols will continue to carry out random checks in the vicinity of the border, and if vehicles and people arriving from Ukraine are identified during the check, they can be assisted if necessary,” he explained.

Source ERR  

 

To learn more about this and similar topics
Border Controls Estonia Estonian-Latvian Border Kristian Jaani Latvia Refugees Russia Ukrainian Refugees

11.6.2025 | Estonia

Fly from Tallinn to Madeira 

Fly from Tallinn to Madeira 

airBaltic will launch direct flights between Tallinn and Madeira in October. The new route will operate every Sunday from … Read more

31.5.2025 | Estonia

Life in Estonia: A Complete Guide

Life in Estonia: A Complete Guide

What’s the average shelf-life for an Estonian? How happy are they? How much do they drink, and how safe … Read more

24.5.2025 | Estonia

Easter Affected Spring Tourism Numbers

Easter Affected Spring Tourism Numbers

The statistics published by Statistics Estonia on the number of tourists in March were commented on in several newspapers. … Read more

22.5.2025 | Estonia

This Is What’s up in Estonia

This Is What’s up in Estonia

Estonian population decreased According to Statistics Estonia, on 1 January this year, 1,369,995 people lived in Estonia, which means … Read more

14.5.2025 | Restaurants

New Car-Free Pedestrian Zone in Kalamaja

New Car-Free Pedestrian Zone in Kalamaja

The Krulli Quarter (Krulli kvartal) is located in the Kalamaja district of Northern Tallinn. In 1899, the German industrialist … Read more

13.5.2025 | Estonia

Defense tax to be abolished in Estonia, replaced by other tax increases

Defense tax to be abolished in Estonia, replaced by other tax increases

The Estonian government is canceling the 2% defence tax, which was scheduled to come into effect temporarily from the … Read more

10.5.2025 | Estonia

Simulation Involving Sirens and Emergency Alerts on Wednesday

Simulation Involving Sirens and Emergency Alerts on Wednesday

Sirens will howl and emergency text messages will be distributed throughout Estonia on Wednesday, 14 May in conjunction with … Read more

27.4.2025 | Culture

What Estonians Say Can Sometimes Mean the Opposite

What Estonians Say Can Sometimes Mean the Opposite

Every language evolves over time, and Estonian is no different in this sense. What does make Estonian different, however, … Read more