Over 30 migrants have been detained in Tallinn in recent days, thought to be the result of a surge in illegal immigration at the Latvia-Belarus border.

Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) officers intercepted another group of illegal border crossers at the Old City Harbor A Terminal in Tallinn on Saturday morning. The group had been attempting to travel to Finland, marking the fourth consecutive day migrants have been apprehended in Estonia.

The PPA says it and other authorities are quick to spot migrants, who may for instance appear to be unsure of their surroundings, meaning they seldom get far.

"Quite often, the people who arrive are not regular travelers here. They are looking around, they are not very familiar with the port, and naturally attract the attention of our patrols. We try to speak with them, to see whether they need any assistance, then if it turns out, for example, that they have no legal basis to stay, then that person has to be detained," Tauri Koppel, field commander at the PPA's Tallinn border crossing point, told "Aktuaalne kaamera."

The PPA also inspects vehicles by random spot checks – vehicles whose interiors are not visible from the outside, for instance vans, or passenger vehicles with tinted glass, are often singled out for further scrutiny, though no migrants have been found traveling in this way in recent times.

Many migrants are apparently of African origin and have arrived in Estonia from neighboring Latvia, which in turn borders with Belarus. That country has been directing migrants to its western borders in recent years, which authorities have called "hybrid warfare" and which started in significant numbers in the summer of 2021.

Latvia's National Security Council this week discussed the issue and concluded that the technical border surveillance infrastructure is still not fully complete, and additional measures are also planned.

"There is also a specific package of measures that will be implemented by the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Defense. The public will be informed when these measures begin to be introduced, and their results will then become visible. I believe that together we can solve this problem, but it will require considerable effort and a certain departure from the usual approach that has been in place in recent months," Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said.

Estonia has already sent two units southwards to assist in Latvia, and, at the proposal of the PPA's director general, another two units are to be deployed. Lithuanian and Finnish personnel are also contributing at the Latvian border.

Interior Minister Igor Taro (Eesti 200) visited the Latvian border this week, to see the situation at first hand. "You can clearly see that they have deployed all available resources there, but the pressure is so great. The people who the Belarusian regime is driving into the forests to attack the Schengen external border can behave quite brazenly. They arrive with long ladders, try to climb over the fence, and when they are shouted at from the other side to go back, they say, 'No, we're coming anyway,'" Taro said, adding "it is certainly not viable to let them in. Otherwise, our entire society will have to deal with this problem. Latvia's deportation and asylum seeker centers are already overcrowded."

Migrants have been apprehended at various locations across Tallinn in recent days, not only in the harbor area but also in the residential outer suburb of Nõmme. The groups were reportedly traveling separately, and at least one public tip-off was received during the PPA operation. While those detained lacked valid documentation, it is believed they originated from various African states and had not been planning to stay in Estonia, instead attempting to reach Finland and then travel onward to Western Europe.

The bulk of those detained have applied for international protection and are being held in a detention center while their claims get processed. Unsuccessful asylum applicants face potential deportation from the country.

While the Belarusian regime has been engaging in hybrid warfare tactics against the EU, particularly Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which it borders, tighter checks in some neighboring countries and easier travel conditions in summer have led to a rise in illegal migration cases, Estonian border officials say. Just under 150 people were apprehended as illegal migrants in Estonia in the first half of 2026, authorities say.

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