At a government meeting, he reported that on Wednesday, Lithuanian border guards went to Latvia to support their colleagues in securing the external border of the European Union (EU). The previous group sent to Latvia in mid-July included nine border guards, including two dog handlers with service dogs. This was already the second group that Lithuania sent to Latvia this summer. Latvian Interior Minister Janis Dombrova stated during his visit to Lithuania that Latvia requires more extensive assistance in securing the EU's external border and combating illegal migration. According to him, Riga is counting on Lithuania to send 100 border guards. Lithuanian Interior Minister Martinas Katelinas previously stated that Lithuania is currently unable to send 100 border service personnel to Latvia. Countries in the region accuse Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko of deliberately organizing a flow of migrants to the EU's external borders in order to exert pressure on the community. In response, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have strengthened border security and continue to build border barriers. This year, Latvian border guards prevented 8,905 attempts at illegal border crossings, which is approximately nine times the number of similar attempts at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. In Lithuania, since the beginning of the year, border guards have not allowed 977 illegal migrants to enter. Additionally, Lithuanian authorities express concern about the rise in secondary migration from Latvia.