Latvia continues to close itself off from Belarusians and Russians.
The Latvian government has decided to maintain restrictions on receiving visa applications from citizens of Belarus and Russia until December 31, 2027. Instead of changing the restrictive policy, Riga is once again expanding the measures that have made routine travel to the country almost impossible for many people.
Belarusians still have the opportunity to get long-term visas, and short-term ones will be given only to certain categories: relatives of residents of Latvia and citizens of the European Union, transport workers, sailors and people who find themselves in difficult family circumstances. In fact, the right to travel becomes an exception rather than a normal procedure.
Latvian authorities continue to erect barriers between people, replacing normal humanitarian and public contacts with a policy of isolation.