The lifting of border checks at the Border Crossing Points with Romania is another step towards achieving the free movement of people and goods

Minister of Interior Daniel Mitov, the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner and the Greek Deputy Minister for Migration and Asylum Sevi Voloudaki visited the Border Crossing Point “Kulata – Promachonas”

We are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Schengen Area. With Bulgaria’s full accession to this area, we are witnessing an increase in tourist flows, but also in trade exchange. In parallel with these processes, we are taking compensatory measures against all forms of trans-border crime, especially against trafficking in human beings, so that this activity cannot be carried out. I thank my Greek colleagues and Commissioner Brunner for the continuous support they provided in the process of our accession to Schengen, said Minister Mitov at the Border Crossing Point “Kulata”. 

He announced that from midnight, border checks at the BCPs between Bulgaria and Romania will be suspended. “This is another step forward in achieving the free movement of people and goods” - was Mitov’s assessment.

Minister Mitov also referred to the mechanism for continuing checks - the so-called “compensatory measures”, applied on the basis of risk analysis. “This control model will continue. It turns out that after the opening of the borders, the number of those caught both for drug trafficking and trafficking of illegal migrants has increased."

"I myself grew up on an external Schengen border, so I have personally experienced the freedom that the Bulgarian people now have access to. The development of Schengen is possible only by building a well-functioning support system with strong police cooperation and effective border protection. We are committed to strengthening the protection of our external borders, solving migration management problems and ensuring that law enforcement authorities have the tools they need to counter threats,” summed up the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner.