Latvia detects 54 individuals with fake documents this year; EU system aids border security

Latvian authorities have identified 54 individuals using 59 forged or improperly issued documents, including ID cards, passports, and visas, at the country's external and internal borders this year. The State Border Guard reported that 50 of these cases occurred at internal borders and nine at external ones.

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Since April 10, 2026, the European Union's Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully operational, designed to streamline travel for third-country nationals on short stays. The EES registers over 150 million entries and exits, assisting border guards and law enforcement in detecting security risks and combating serious crimes and terrorism. The European Commission highlighted a February 2026 case where the system identified a man using multiple identities across previous Schengen area entry attempts.

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The system helps border guards and law enforcement agencies identify security risks and supports the fight against serious crime and terrorism.

However, Jolanta Babiško of the State Border Guard clarified that the cases detected in Latvia are not directly linked to the EES. The system's practical benefit lies in identifying individuals who previously entered with their real documents but later attempt to cross borders using someone else's identity. Such discrepancies can be found by comparing a person's previously registered biometric data with new data in the EES. To date, no cases in Latvia have been identified solely through EES biometric comparison. Babiško also stressed that EES is not a tool for detecting forged documents, which relies on authenticity checks and other control mechanisms.

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The practical impact is that the system allows for the identification of situations where a person has previously entered with their real documents, but later tries to cross the border using another person's document.

The primary benefit of EES so far has been the rapid identification of individuals overstaying their permitted duration, thereby improving control over residence regulations. An integrated calculator automatically determines the length of stay, reducing errors from manual calculations at border checkpoints and during immigration control measures within the country. The implementation of EES has improved data quality and consistency for third-country nationals subject to its regulations.

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EES is not a mechanism for detecting forged documents. The system can provide support in identity and document data verification, but the detection of forged documents is carried out using document authenticity checks and other control mechanisms.