After years of negotiations to join the Schengen area, travellers arriving by air or sea from both countries are now exempt from checks. However, land border checks will remain in place, largely due to opposition from Austria, which has long blocked efforts by Romania and Bulgaria over concerns about illegal migration.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the move as a “huge success for both countries” and a “historic moment” for the world’s largest free-travel area.
Passengers arriving from Berlin receive European Union and Bulgarian flags at Sofia airport on Sunday. Photo: AFP
The Schengen area was established in 1985. Before Bulgaria and Romania joined, it included 23 of the 27 European Union member states, along with Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Austria vetoed Romania and Bulgaria joining the Schengen area by the end of 2022 but allowed Croatia to join fully. Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in 2007 and Croatia in 2013.
Siegfried Muresan, a Romanian member of the European Parliament, said it was an “important first step” that would benefit millions of tourists every year.
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu called it a “deserved achievement” for Romania, which he said would benefit citizens who could travel more easily and would boost the economy.
The EU's executive body, the European Commission, has said for more than a decade that Romania and Bulgaria both meet the technical criteria for full accession. Both countries have agreed to introduce random security checks at airports and sea borders to combat illegal migration and cross-border crime.
“Bulgaria’s full accession to Schengen will take place by the end of 2024. We have shown and continue to show illegal migrants that they should not travel to Europe via Bulgaria,” Bulgarian Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov told reporters on Sunday.
According to official data, the lifting of border controls is expected to facilitate operations at Bulgaria's four international airports, which will handle nearly 11 million passengers by 2023.
Mai Anh (according to AFP, SCMP)
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