Latvia’s fence construction began in 2015 and the first 23km section is ready, according to local media reports, citing State Border Guards spokeswoman Evgeniya Poznyak. The Latvian government has allocated an additional €6.3 million on the construction and is seeking to build 60km of fence in 2017.
While a significant stretch of Latvia’s 276km border with Russia is believed to be well-protected with natural landmarks, including swamps and rivers, some 193 kilometers are deemed “vulnerable.'Yet the ambitious plan so far involves building only 92km of fence, Latvia’s Delfi news reports.
The main goal of the barrier, according to the spokeswoman, is to prevent ''illegal migration.'' It remained unclear though, if the fence was designed to prevent the illegals from entering Latvia or to keep them in.