Border control

Bulgaria will independently determine the locations and methods of border control with Romania following its Schengen entry by land, according to diplomatic sources in Brussels shared with BNR.

Following Bulgaria's entry into the Schengen area's land borders, border checkpoints will remain operational, but movement across borders will become more streamlined, according to the Ministry of Interior.

Bulgaria and Romania are set to enter the Schengen Area, but border controls at their land borders will remain in place for at least six months following their accession. This agreement was finalized today in Budapest, where the interior ministers of Bulgaria, Romania, Austria, and Hungary signed a joint declaration, as reported by the Hungarian rotating presidency of the EU Council.

Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis visited Serres in northern Greece on Saturday to focus on infrastructure upgrades at the Promachonas border crossing.

The border station, one of Greece's busiest, serves as a key entry point for travelers and cargo from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with 8 million passengers and 2 million vehicles passing through annually.

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) announced today a 42% decrease in illegal border crossings into the European Union since January, compared to the same timeframe last year, as reported by BTA.

In July and August, 98.9% and 97.8% of passengers, respectively, have been served at security checks in less than 10 minutes at Larnaca Airport, while at the passport control points at departures, for EU/EEA/UK/Swiss citizens, the figures were 87.6% and 90.8% for the respective months, Cyprus' Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works has said.

Since late 2022, Bulgaria and Romania have been primarily focused on Austria regarding their inclusion in the Schengen Agreement. This agreement, initiated in 1985, allows for border-free travel across Europe. However, Austria's unexpected veto halted the EU's plan to incorporate both countries into the Schengen zone.

Germany has introduced temporary border controls to ensure safe, orderly, and legal entry into the country, a move that will not impact the visa issuance process for Turkish citizens, as confirmed by Germany's Embassy in Türkiye on Monday.

Germany is reinstating border controls on its land borders starting today as part of efforts to address illegal migration. This decision has raised concerns among neighboring countries, who worry that the controls might cause traffic congestion and disrupt regular cross-border movement.

Germany will from Monday expand border controls to the frontiers with all nine of its neighbours to stop irregular migrants in a move that has sparked protests from other EU members.

Berlin announced the sweeping measure following a string of deadly extremist attacks that have stoked public fears and boosted support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.