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Garbars said that in recent months, Latvia has become a transit destination for illegal immigrants from Vietnam, who are illegally smuggled into the country and transported to other destinations.

He also added that when caught by the authorities in Latvia, many of these illegal immigrants immediately request residency permits.

''In case they do not request asylum, we are capable of quickly deporting them from the country,'' Garbars said, adding that just last week 14 Vietnamese citizens were deported from Latvia.

Garbars also added that there are currently 70 asylum seekers residing at the Mucenieki refugee center.

Asked to comment the capacity of the State Border Guard, he said that this needs to be increased, and that the government has already agreed in principle to increase the number of border guards by 100 next year.