Latvia finds second migrant tunnel near Belarus border
Border guards apprehended 28 individuals who had illegally crossed into the EU.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
KEYPIX - epa13176103 A border fence stands along the Latvia-Belarus border during Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics' (not pictured) visit near Piedruja, Latvia, 17 August 2026. Rinkevics was bri ...
Photograph: watson (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Latvian border guards found a tunnel approximately 20 meters from the border with Belarus.
- Twenty-eight migrants were apprehended near the tunnel after crossing the border illegally.
- This is the second tunnel discovered on the Latvian-Belarusian border recently.
- Latvia has accused Belarus of organising migrant flows to the EU border.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 22 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 14 of the 36 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
61/100
Hype
41/100
36 sources · methodology
Latvian border guards discovered an underground tunnel approximately 20 meters from the border with Belarus. Twenty-eight migrants were apprehended near the tunnel after they had crossed the border illegally. This is the second such tunnel found on the Latvian-Belarusian border in a short period. Latvia has accused Belarus of organising migrant flows to the EU border.
Disagreement on migrant return
One report states that the 28 individuals apprehended were returned to Belarus, while another indicates they were apprehended and then returned to Belarus. The full report from watson does not specify whether the migrants were returned.
What the coverage left out
None of the left-rated digests mention the specific location of the tunnel being approximately 20 meters from the border, a detail present in other reports. None of the centre-rated digests mention Latvia's 'Operation Werewolf'.
Coverage settled. We checked this 9 times and stopped on 27 Aug 2026, 00:31. The figures above are what it finished at.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
5 rated outlets
- The left-rated reports highlighted Latvia's discovery of the tunnel and the apprehension of 28 migrants. They also mentioned Latvia's accusation that Belarus is using migrants for hybrid warfare against Europe and the EU. The operation 'Werewolf', launched by Latvia to secure its eastern border, was also noted. One report mentioned that the apprehended individuals were returned to Belarus.
Centre
10 rated outlets
- ElNacional.cat reported 28 migrants entered Latvia via an underground passage, linking it to Minsk. Lietuvos Radijas ir Televizija said border guards detained 28 people who crossed a tunnel in Kraslava. Deutschlandfunk noted a further tunnel under the border fence, and vrt said it was the second tunnel found within ten days. All five outlets gave the same migrant count and border location.
- Euronews added that European leaders describe the influx as a hybrid attack by Lukashenka’s regime, while vrt highlighted Belarus using migration to pressure the EU. Deutschlandfunk described the tunnel as being under the border fence, a detail not repeated by the other digests. These variations show differing emphasis on motive and technical description.
- None of the centre digests mention any cost estimate for constructing or sealing the tunnel, nor do they provide statements from EU officials or details about the migrants’ origins. They also omit information on any legal proceedings or future border‑security measures beyond the discovery itself.
Right
7 rated outlets
- The right-rated reports led with the discovery of a second tunnel near the Latvian border with Belarus and the apprehension of 28 migrants. They frequently attributed the migrant flows to Belarus, with one report stating that Russia's ally Belarus is pushing migrants into Latvia. The launch of 'Operation Werewolf' by Latvia to secure its eastern border was also mentioned.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Latvia finds second migrant tunnel near Belarus border?
- Of the 22 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 23% are rated left, 45% are rated centre, 32% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 36. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Latvia finds second migrant tunnel near Belarus border left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 22 rated outlets on this story, 23% are rated left, 45% are rated centre, 32% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Latvia finds second migrant tunnel near Belarus border biased?
- Latvia finds second migrant tunnel near Belarus border is one event reported by 36 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered Latvia finds second migrant tunnel near Belarus border?
- 36 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What did Latvian border guards discover?
- Latvian border guards discovered an underground tunnel approximately 20 meters from the border with Belarus. This is the second such tunnel found on the border in a short period.
- How many migrants were apprehended?
- Twenty-eight migrants were apprehended near the tunnel after they had crossed the border illegally from Belarus into Latvia.
- What is Latvia's accusation against Belarus?
- Latvia has accused Belarus of organising migrant flows to the EU border, suggesting it is part of a hybrid war against Europe.
Read it at the source
36 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
5- Latvia Detains 28 Migrants Who Crossed From Belarus Through Underground Tunnel (opens United24 in a new tab)
- There Was Another Tunnel on the Cordon of Bilorussus: 28 M of Grant. (opens censor.net in a new tab)
censor.net — is censor.net biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Latvia’s border guard finds tunnel on Belarus border. 28 people tried to enter the country through it. (opens Meduza in a new tab)
- Latvia Discovers Further Minitunnel Under Border Fence to Belarus (opens Spiegel in a new tab)
- Latvia: Further Migratory Tunnel Discovered Under Border Fence (opens watson in a new tab)
Centre
10- Another migrant tunnel has been discovered in Latvia near the Belarusian border (opens The Baltic Times in a new tab)
The Baltic Times — is The Baltic Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Latvia Suspects Lukashenko Plan: Further Migrant Tunnel Discovered Under Border Fence (opens mannheim24.de in a new tab)
mannheim24.de — is mannheim24.de biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Latvia Suspects Lukashenko Plan: Further Migrant Tunnel Discovered Under Border Fence (opens hna.de in a new tab)
- Latvia Suspects Lukashenko Plan: Further Migrant Tunnel Discovered Under Border Fence (opens Kreiszeitung in a new tab)
Kreiszeitung — is Kreiszeitung biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Latvia Suspects Lukashenko Plan: Further Migrant Tunnel Discovered Under Border Fence (opens tz.de in a new tab)
- Latvia Discovers Second Illegal Tunnel in Barely 10 Days on Border with Belarus (opens vrt in a new tab)
- Illegal Immigration - Discovered Further Tunnel Under Border Fence Between Latvia and Belarus (opens Deutschlandfunk in a new tab)
Deutschlandfunk — is Deutschlandfunk biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Tunnels to Latvia: Lukashenko's New Tool to Pressure the EU with Migrants (opens ElNacional.cat in a new tab)
ElNacional.cat — is ElNacional.cat biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
7- Another Tunnel Discovered Near Latvian Border with Belarus, 28 Migrants Stopped (opens NOS in a new tab)
- Latvia, Another Illegal Immigration Tunnel From Belarus Discovered (opens 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency in a new tab)
연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency — is 연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency biased? Our profile of this outlet
- A Tunnel on the Border with Belarus Was Found in Latvia, and 28 Migrants Were Detained (opens Korrespondent.net in a new tab)
Korrespondent.net — is Korrespondent.net biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Latvia: Second Secret Tunnel Discovered at the Border with Belarus (opens Bild in a new tab)
- Introduced by Belarus?: Latvia Discovers More Migrant Tunnels at Its Border (opens n-tv in a new tab)
- Further Migrant Tunnel Under Border Fence Discovered in Latvia (opens Die Presse in a new tab)
Die Presse — is Die Presse biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Another Smuggling Tunnel Discovered Between Belarus and Latvia (opens De Telegraaf in a new tab)
De Telegraaf — is De Telegraaf biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
14- Latvia Suspects Lukashenko Plan: Further Migrant Tunnel Discovered Under Border Fence (opens op-online.de in a new tab)
op-online.de — is op-online.de biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Another Underground Tunnel Was Dug From Belarus to Latvia (opens tvrain.tv in a new tab)
- Latvia Discovers Long Tunnel Near Border with Belarus for Second Time in Ten Days (opens NU in a new tab)
- Latvia: Border Guards Encountered a Group of Migrants. It Quickly Became Clear How They Crossed the Border. (opens Gazeta in a new tab)
- Dramatic Raid on Latvian Border. Guard Uncovers Secret Tunnel From Belarus and Catches Group of Migrants (opens Aktuality.sk in a new tab)
Aktuality.sk — is Aktuality.sk biased? Our profile of this outlet
- This Was the Second Such Operation by the Latvian Border Guard in 10 Days. Following the First, Operation "Werewolf" Was Launched. (opens wprost in a new tab)
- Baltic Country Under Pressure. Illegal Tunnel on Border with Belarus, Dozens of Migrants Turned Back. (opens Polsat News in a new tab)
Polsat News — is Polsat News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Secret Tunnel Camouflaged with Moss Found on EU Border: Member State Takes Immediate Action (opens Portfolio in a new tab)
Show 6 more
- Latvian Border Guards Discover Smuggling Tunnel From Belarus (opens Hospodárske Noviny in a new tab)
Hospodárske Noviny — is Hospodárske Noviny biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Second Migrant Tunnel Discovered Near Latvian-Belarusian Border (opens pmo.ee in a new tab)
- Latvian Border Guards Found a Second Underground Tunnel From Belarus when 28 People Walked It Back to the New Europe Newspaper. (opens Unknown in a new tab)
Unknown
- Latvia: Further Migrant Tunnel Discovered Under Border Fence (opens stol.it in a new tab)
- Schleusertunnel to the EU: Latvia Picks up 28 People (opens nordisch.info in a new tab)
nordisch.info — is nordisch.info biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Another Migrant Tunnel in Latvia (opens lrytas.lt in a new tab)
How did this read?
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