Latvian Minister in the soup after lecturing Spain on immigration

Dombrava sent a letter to Spain regarding the border crisis in Ceuta, where tens of thousands of people entered from Morocco as part of a hybrid attack – though most have now returned to Morocco. He did not consult the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has responsibility for diplomatic relations, before heading to the post office, according to LTV. According to Dombrava himself, in the letter he expressed that the Ceuta case is not just an isolated incident, but must be viewed more broadly, and that it is essential to find a solution to the problem at the European Union level and strengthen the security of the European Union's external borders – facts of which Spain was certainly already aware. "We expressed that we are ready to provide various types of technical support if it is necessary at some point within the framework of the common solidarity mechanism. And at the same time, we also indicated in relation to these decisions that it should not be the case that these illegal immigrants are legalized. And this is also a format that enough countries have expressed that it creates broader risks to the security of Schengen," Dombrava explained. The minister has not received any response from Spain. "Nothing has been answered yet. Today we had a meeting of interior ministers, where, I would say, the response from Spain was fairly positive or neutral towards the Baltic states," Dombrava said. However, Latvian Television has unofficial information, provided by reliable sources, that the Spaniards were far from happy about receiving advice on what to do from the Latvian Minister of the Interior. The tone of the letter was described as arrogant, and Spain pointed out behind closed doors that while it has hundreds of soldiers on Latvian soil defending the country as part of the NATO presence, it is surprising that Latvia is choosing to attack Spain at a time when the Spaniards themselves are facing a hydrid threat. Spanish officials are also likely annoyed by the fact that while Latvia has indeed been dealing with increased border pressure and hybrid threats since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, Spain has been dealing with the challenges of mass migration for far longer and on a far larger scale than anything seen in the Baltic states. Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs (United List) admitted that he had heard about the letter: "I really like Mr. Dombrava's enthusiasm, initiative and activity, the way he handles issues related to the protection of our border, to general security in the country, but sometimes this initiative is too much. And this is the case when things needed to be coordinated." "I understand that Mr. Dombrava wanted to wish Spain well in terms of showing the experience we have with hybrid attacks. He draws attention to the fact that Spain also has this hybrid attack from Morocco - how to learn how we control this flow of migrants from Belarus and Russia, but these issues are sensitive in the international space, and they must be addressed together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," the Prime Minister said. This, according to Kulbergs, should be done so that the messages do not differ and the government is informed about such communication. "Entering Spain illegally through Ceuta or Melilla does not grant the right to remain in the country, travel to the mainland, or move freely within Europe. It poses a serious risk to life, and no court ruling has changed that," pointed out the Spanish Foreign Ministry on July 3rd. "Ceuta and Melilla have a unique border control system in Europe: a double filter. There is a check at the border with Morocco and a second Schengen check upon departure for the Spanish mainland, by sea and air. No one boards without identifying themselves to the National Police." When asked how he assessed Dombrava's Spanish epistle on Wednesday, President Edgars Rinkēvičs replied that Latvia is represented in foreign policy by the President, Prime Minister, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and this existing cooperation mechanism is good. At the same time, the President acknowledged that illegal migration and border security are a growing problem at the European level. "I think we all absolutely agree that, first of all, we must ensure the border protection of our own country. We have a lot to do there," Rinkēvičs pointed out. However, "before we write letters to anyone, we have to deal with our own affairs," the President recommended. Rinkēvičs believes that Latvia's position is already very well defined by the letter signed by the governments of 22 countries. In the letter signed on August 1, the leaders of the countries called for an immediate response and coordination of EU action in relation to the events in Ceuta. "The Prime Minister also had a conversation with the Minister of the Interior, and I think that in the future we will see a more coordinated policy," said Rinkēvičs. "Our country stands in solidarity with Spain, we are ready to help them in every way politically, if there is such a problem. We are very positive and grateful to Spain for the participation of its soldiers." Rinkēvičs has also discussed these issues with Dombrava in a short conversation, he confirmed. "We will deal with our problems, and then we will also have the opportunity to share this experience much more widely with other EU member states," said the head of state. Track record Despite only being in the job for a couple of months, Dombrava, who sits on the right of the overtly nationalist National Alliance political force already has several gaffes and controversies to his name. One week after sitting down at his desk he posted an image on social media that caused widespread derision. Photo: Facebook Jānis Dombrava's vision of the Interior Ministry The AI-generated image shows a Hollywood-enhanced version of a flattering granite-jawed Dombrava presiding over an Interior Ministry that includes heavily-armed police, two identical twin firefighters, a musclebound man undergoing a medical test from a worried-looking medic, an immigration official studiously avoiding eye contact with a tiny client and, most notably of all, border guards on the lookout beside a border marker than is not only the wrong colour but even mis-spells the name of the country as 'Latvjs Republka' instead of 'Latvijas Republika'. Text accompanying the image on Dombrava's Facebook account includes the line: "I don't care that someone on the other side of Europe won't like something" – which in the current context seems quite prophetic. In addition, Dombrava has opened an investigation into Latvia's senior police officer and presided over a confused open-closed-open situation at the country's border with Belarus, the causes of which are still unclear.