Bulgaria and Romania partially joined the Schengen free travel zone with the removal of air and sea border controls, after 13 years of waiting.
Since March 31, people can travel by sea or air between the two Eastern European countries and most remaining countries of the European Union (EU) without having to go through visa control. and passport.
The Romanian government said Schengen regulations will apply to four seaports and 17 airports, including Otopeni airport near the capital Bucharest, which serves as the largest hub for Schengen flights. Human resources, including border police and immigration officers, will be deployed to airports to “assist passengers and detect those who want to leave Romania illegally”. Random checks will be carried out to detect people carrying fake documents and combat human trafficking.
Bulgaria and Romania hope to fully integrate into Schengen later this year, but Austria has so far only made concessions on air and sea routes. Road routes in Bulgaria and Romania have not been included due to concerns that they would make it easier for non-EU migrants to enter other countries in the bloc.
Tourists walk next to newly installed signs regulating Schengen and non-Schengen areas at Romania’s largest airport, Henri Coanda, early in the morning of March 31. Image: AFP
“This is a great success for both countries and a historic moment for Schengen, the world’s largest free movement zone. Together we will build a stronger, more united Europe for everyone.” our citizens,” said European Union (EU) Head Ursula von der Leyen.
Despite only being partial members, admission to Schengen is an “important milestone” for Bulgaria and Romania, according to foreign policy analyst Stefan Popescu.
“Any Romanian who has to use a separate lane from other European citizens feels treated differently,” he said.
Ivan Petrov, a 35-year-old Bulgarian marketing manager living in France, said he was excited about the less tiring commute and time savings.
Established in 1985, the Schengen area allows more than 400 million people to travel freely without internal border controls. With the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, the Schengen area now includes 29 members, including 25 of the 27 EU member states, along with Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Bulgaria and Romania are the only two EU member states that do not enjoy the full benefits of Schengen. Croatia, the country that joined the EU after the two countries, was fully accepted into the Schengen area in January 2023.
“Our efforts to join Schengen at land borders are continuing in many diplomatic channels,” Romanian Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu said.
Romanian truck drivers urged the government to quickly achieve this to resolve the long queues they are facing. Romania’s main road transport union says the average waiting time at the border with Hungary is 16 hours. Romanian shipping companies record billions of dollars in losses each year because of long waits at the border.
Bulgarian businesses also expressed disappointment that freedom of movement regulations have not been applied to roads. They point out that “only 3% of Bulgaria’s goods are transported by air and sea, the remaining 97% by road”.