In recent weeks, 99 migrants have been found in Estonia after crossing the Belarusian border illegally and trying to make their way to the Nordic countries through Tallinn's ports.

EU authorities say the migration route is a hybrid attack organized by the Belarusian regime.

On Wednesday, Estonia's Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) handed over the eight male illegal immigrants to Latvia at 9 a.m. at the Ikla border crossing point.

The men from Ethiopia stayed in Estonia without a legal basis after arriving here from Belarus via Latvia, the PPA said in a statement.

In the statement, the PPA said the immigrants were aiming to move on to other Schengen countries via Estonia. None of them wanted to apply for international protection, the agency added.

Of the eight Ethiopians handed over to Latvia, one claimed to be a minor, but this was not confirmed, the PPA said.

Head of the Border Guard Bureau of the North Prefecture, Indrek Aru, said the Estonian police are in constant contact with their Latvian and Lithuanian colleagues:

"Our common assessment is that the migration pressure will not subside in the near future. Together with our Baltic partners, we are ready to react quickly to the constantly changing circumstances," he said.

Since July, the Estonian police have detained a total of 99 foreigners who can be linked to the migratory pressure from Belarus on the Latvian border. 

On Monday, the police detained eight men from Ethiopia in central Tallinn on suspicion that they were in the country illegally.

An agreement has been in force between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania since 1995, which regulates the readmission of people staying in the country illegally. Based on this, it is possible to send back to Latvia foreigners who have entered Estonia illegally through there.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!