Border protection mission: Why Karner was not shipwrecked in Romania

The fact that Austria finally gave up the blockade was due to a comprehensive border protection package that Karner had negotiated with his counterparts from Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. The aim of these measures was to “massively strengthen the EU’s external border protection and implement the EU asylum pact,” said Karner.

The Romanian authorities demonstrated this week on the Black Sea coast how this pact will be implemented in reality.

Karner was at the invitation of the Romanian Interior Minister Cătălin Predoiu on Tuesday for working discussions in the strategically important area Port city of Constanta traveled. Around 18 months after Romania and Bulgaria joined Schengen, the focus of the talks was on combating the smuggling mafia, protecting the EU’s external borders and, above all, implementing the agreed asylum pact.

On board there „Stephen the Great“, the 66 meter long flagship of the Romanian coast guard, the delegation from Austria was given an impressive demonstration of how to decisively combat human trafficking and organized crime along the sea route. Heavily armed Romanian special forces with speedboats boarded the ship and overwhelmed the smugglers who had seized it. The exercise by the emergency services at sea was intended to illustrate what is also possible with plenty of EU funding for the EU external border protection is being done in the region.

High-tech system monitors sea routes

With the neighboring countries Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Türkiye, Bulgaria and Romania the Black Sea is a strategically important hotspot. Cătălin Predoiu gave Karner and the delegation from Vienna an insight into the maritime surveillance and control system Scomar (System of Observation, Surveillance, and Control of Traffic on the Black Sea) in Constanta. “It is a complex system for observing, monitoring and controlling all shipping traffic in the region. Scomar is an important part of the security architecture in the Black Sea region,” said Predoiu.

The Interior Minister emphasized that his country recognizes its “status as a full Schengen member state with the greatest possible responsibility.” “These efforts strengthen our country’s role as a security guarantor at the EU’s external border,” said Predoiu in a joint press statement alongside Karner.

Illegal migration pushed back

Both agreed that the stricter measures in the Black Sea region would have an effect. This becomes clear at the formerly heavily polluted Burgenland-Hungarian border, where there are currently hardly any apprehensions of illegal border crossings, according to the Interior Ministry.

The end of 2022 was around in a single week 3,500 people arrested after illegally crossing the border in Burgenland; at the end of May 2026 there were 15 arrests in one week. “The numbers prove its effectiveness. In recent years, extensive efforts have been made to ensure effective protection of the external borders,” said Karner.

Smugglers demand 10,000 euros

Border protection in Bulgaria and Romania was also carried out with the help of EU funding massively increased in terms of technology and personnel. This means that the number of illegal border crossings at the Bulgarian-Turkish external border has fallen by 60 percent, it was said at the meeting in Constanta. The price for towing on the Bulgarian-Turkish border has also increased massively, around 10-fold in recent years. According to the safety authorities, you have to pay approximately 10.000 Euro pay.

Especially when it comes to the fight against organized crime, Karner and his Romanian counterpart agreed on closer networking between the investigating authorities and special forces.

The almost hostile mood that Karner was met with during a visit to Romania in 2023 because of his long Schengen veto was evident on Tuesday Constant nothing to notice anymore.

Romanian ship goes on patrol off Spain

The words of praise for the functioning border protection made many previous resentments towards Austria forgotten. “I assure that Romania remains a reliable partner that, together with Austria, works closely to strengthen European security,” said Cătălin Predoiu.

As part of an operation by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex will Romania with the “Stephen the Great“ Support the coast guard in the Spanish Mediterranean over the summer.