In 2025 within the framework of European Border and Coast Guard Agency’s operational year, the experts and technical equipment from the State Border Guard of Latvia were actively involved in joint operations coordinated by Frontex, strengthening the security of the EU’s external borders and the management of immigration.
During the operational year, the State Border Guard of Latvia participated in 21 joint operations coordinated by Frontex and provided support to the EU Member States and third countries, such as Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, France, Spain, Finland, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Kosovo, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Georgia, involving 341 State Border Guard of Latvia experts (Debriefing and Screening experts, Registration and Fingerprinting experts, Border Surveillance experts, First and Second line experts, Advanced Level Document Officer, Information Management Experts, Motor Vehicle Crime Detection Officer, Crew members State Border Guard of Latvia technical assets), of which 16 Dog handlers with Service Dogs and 3 Forced Return Escort and Support Officers participated in return operations.
In 2025, the State Border Guard of Latvia deployed 4 technical assets in Member States: 1 vessel RK-12 “VALPAS” (total 9 involvement periods on a rotating basis), 3 boats (total 9 involvement periods on a rotating basis) and 3 Mobile Surveillance Systems (total 12 involvement periods on a rotating basis).
Vessel RK-12 “VALPAS” with crew was involved in joint operation “Greece 2025”, in Crete from 25 March 2025 and participated in 27 search and rescue operations until 21 January 2026, saving 3306 lives while ensuring patrolling and surveillance in the Greek coastal region.
In addition, from 11 June to 29 October 2025, Frontex, the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) multifunctional maritime operation “MMO Baltic Sea 2025” was implemented in the Baltic Sea, in which Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Poland participated with its own technical means. The State Border Guard of Latvia deployed technical means – 1 vessel and 2 boats to combat cross-border crime at sea in cooperation with other countries and to promote cooperation in the coast guard activities of Law enforcement authorities, as well as to support search and rescue operations at sea.
At the same time, the State Border Guard of Latvia, in cooperation with Frontex, coordinates the deployment of the Frontex Standing Corps experts on the territory of Latvia. In total, 229 Frontex experts from different European Union Member States were deployed in the State Border Guard of Latvia units in 2025, who provided significant support to the State Border Guard of Latvia in ensuring border control activities and strengthening the external border of the European Union. From the second half of 2025, 3 additional Frontex mobile video surveillance systems were involved in the surveillance of Latvia’s external borders, which significantly increased border surveillance capabilities and the effectiveness of response.
In 2026, the State Border Guard will continue to participate in joint operations coordinated by Frontex, as well as host Frontex Standing Corps officers with technical means at the State Border Guard of Latvia units with the purpose to further strengthen the EU’s external security and reaction capabilities to migration and security challenges in a more targeted way.