Estonia will be able to significantly boost its drone surveillance, as the European Union has allocated over €30 million for the cause, Minister of Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200) said on Thursday.
"Last week, we learned that Estonia will receive €32 million from the European Union to strengthen drone surveillance along the eastern border. [This has been] a very pressing issue for us," Taro said at the government's weekly press conference on Thursday.
"To put the figures into perspective, we have allocated €4 million for other infrastructure along the eastern border next year, while drone defense will receive €32 million," Taro added, explaining the significance of the amount.
No migration crisis
The interior minister also discussed migration pressure originating from Belarus, highlighting how much it has increased this year.
"While a total of 39 people were apprehended in Estonia last year for illegally transiting through the country after crossing the Latvia-Belarus border, that number had already reached 406 as of October 20 this year," he said.
Although this places considerable pressure on the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), there is still no reason to speak of a migration crisis, Taro assured.
"Our emergency plans are designed for entirely different magnitudes. We are nowhere near that point, and even if the emergency plan were activated, there would still be a substantial reserve of capacity, meaning that resources are available and nobody would be overwhelmed as a result," he said.
According to figures provided by Taro, nearly 50 patrols are involved in managing migration-related matters in Estonia every day.
"Our police officers have worked more than 8,000 hours of overtime, and as of today, we have returned 134 people apprehended for illegal transit to Latvia, with more awaiting return shortly," he said.
The interior minister said the number of attempted illegal border crossings at the Latvia-Belarus border is now clearly declining, having fallen from 340 prevented attempts to 122 over three weeks.
"But the threat has not disappeared, and our preparedness must remain high. More of these people may still come toward Estonia. But the main conclusion is that Estonia is managing this situation," he stressed.
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