Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria's full Schengen membership will not open the floodgates to the EU, says Interior Minister

Interim minister of the Interior Atanas Ilkov
Photo: Hristo Kasabov/ BTA

A quadripartite meeting of the interior ministers of Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria and Romania in Budapest on 22 November made it clear that Austria would lift its veto and that Bulgaria and Romania would probably become full members of Schengen from the beginning of 2025 - not only by air and sea, but also by land. "Bulgaria's full Schengen membership will not open the floodgates to the EU," interim Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov assured a briefing after his return to Bulgaria. 

Border police chief Anton Zlatanov also said that border controls would not be relaxed. On the borders with Romania and Greece, Bulgaria will use the experience of Hungary and Austria in controlling internal borders. On the border with Greece, there will be compensatory measures in the border area. There will be patrols that will carry out risk-based checks so that traffic is not hindered. 

On the border with Turkey, 100 police officers from Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria will be deployed to participate in the controls.

The final decision on Bulgaria's land entry into Schengen will be taken on December 12, caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said yesterday.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

(L to R) Atanas Atanasov, Kiril Petkov, Bozhidar Bozhanov, Nikolai Denkov from PP/DB

PP/DB: Boyko Borissov as PM is absolutely unacceptable

“We find the proposal of Boyko Borissov as premier of Bulgaria absolutely unacceptable, we are not going to be involved in any trading in positions.” This is the answer We Continue the Change/Democratic Bulgaria (PP/DB) gave to the proposal by GERB..

published on 11/26/24 9:12 AM

Weather forecast: Sunny weather, fog in some parts

During the night, the weather will be predominantly clear and calm. There will be fog or low clouds before midday in parts of the lowlands, valleys and around water basins. Minimum temperatures minus 4-1° C., for Sofia around minus 2° C. On..

published on 11/25/24 6:15 PM

Ursula von der Leyen mentions Bulgarian girl Debora on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Bulgarian Debora Mihaylova , who was brutally slashed with a mock knife by her boyfriend Georgi Georgiev , is one of the victims of violence mentioned by Ursula von der Leyen in her address on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of..

published on 11/25/24 5:09 PM