Enhancing Latvia-Belarus border management cooperation during preparation and implementation of large-scale public events (LATBEL)
Duration
October 2019 - September 2021Budget
EUR 494,813.32 (94.99 % from ISF-Borders)
Implemented by
The State Border Guard of the Republic of Latvia with the support of the State Border Committee of Belarus implements the Action.
The Action aims at strengthening cross-border cooperation to counter irregular border crossings and the risks associated with irregular transit migration during cross-border public events. Its main components are capacity building on border management as well as risk analysis and facilitating communication through increased joint operations and an expanded network of common contact points. The target audience for all activities covers a wide range of local, regional and central level actors in both participating countries. This Action also shows a strong example of regional cooperation.
Partners
Activities
Capacity Building on Border Management
This component involves study visits to air, road and railway border crossing points with countries that have accumulated experience and expertise in hosting and managing large-scale public events (Ukraine, Poland, Austria and Slovakia), as well as a series of bilateral meetings and training aimed towards strengthening joint capacity and development of mutual understanding. The guidelines for joint investigation of border incidents will be updated and used for practical purposes with the ultimate aim of improving cooperation and coordinated efforts on cross-border issues.
Capacity Building on Risk Analysis
Experts from the region will develop SOPs for risk analysis and subsequently produce a brochure on the SOP methodology such that central and regional-level risk analysts at the Belarus and Latvian state border can work within the same framework in the future. This brochure will be used in the training of staff conducting risk analyses at operational and strategic level.
Joint Operations and Exercises
National experts will meet to discuss contingency planning and will use FRONTEX recommendations during practical exercises on the prevention of specific unauthorized activities at border crossing points. This is followed by a joint operation in air border crossing points: experts will be deployed to airports in Latvia and Belarus to create conditions for operational cooperation, exchange of information and best practices.
Establishing Common Contact Points and Focal Points
Establishment of two common contact points for on-line information exchange on incidents occurring at the border, and one focal point for facilitating deployment of FRONTEX experts during joint operations.
- Minsk-Riga air border common contact point
- Polotsk-Daugavpils land border common contact point
- Minsk air focal point
The common contact points and focal point will help to maintain information exchange and will play a significant role in case of emergency.
