site.btaInterior Minister on Bulgaria's Full Schengen Accession: December 12 Is Historic Date

Caretaker Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov said that December 12, 2024 is a historic date for all. Ilkov commented during a media briefing the decision of the Council of the EU to have checks at the land Schengen borders of Bulgaria and Romania lifted from January 1, 2025.

"The abolition of land border controls in the EU is well deserved because we have achieved many results in countering migrant pressure, we have brought it down to 70%. In the [country's] interior, it is 46%," Ilkov said.

The results are also based on the changes in border security with Turkiye, Ilkov said, adding that in recent days a large criminal group was busted.

As of January 1, controls at all borders with the EU will be lifted. For six months, the security environment in the area of the border with Romania will be monitored. Checks will be carried out randomly and using a "risk analysis" method. This will have no impact on transport traffic. If there are queues at the Danube bridge, they will now be only because of the repairs, Ilkov said. Checks will be made outside the flow so as not to interfere with traffic, and this will be done by pulling over vehicles, the Minister explained.

Ilkov thanked Ylva Johansson, the former EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, and Hungarian Minister of Interior Sándor Pinter for the efforts made on the way to Bulgaria's full Schengen accession, as well as the Bulgarian team in Brussels. 

"Many positive things have happened for Bulgaria in the last 15 days. One of them was the meeting in Budapest a few days ago, during which we received a lot of support and a declaration was signed for Bulgaria's full accession to Schengen," the Minister said.

Atanas Ilkov added that some of the border guards at the Bulgarian-Greek border will be directed to the checkpoints with Turkiye. The work of joint teams is being considered, as border police officers from different countries will be sent to the area with Turkiye. In Bulgaria will be teams from Romania, Austria and probably Greece, Ilkov said, adding that there is no need to expand the infrastructure at the Kulata checkpoint on the border with Greece.

In his words, there is no danger that Bulgaria will become a "buffer for migrants". He added that this country has not agreed to accept more refugees.

The Council of the EU decided that checks at the land Schengen borders of Bulgaria and Romania will be lifted from January 1, 2025, the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union said on Thursday.

In late March, checks at the air and sea Schengen borders of both countries were removed following a decision made during the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU on December 30, 2023.