Bulgaria and Romania have taken a major step towards full integration into the Schengen free travel zone, as of March 31, people can now travel by sea or air between the two Eastern European countries and most other EU countries without needing to go through visa control.
The Romanian government has announced that Schengen regulations will apply to four seaports and 17 airports, including the Otopeni airport near Bucharest. Human resources will be deployed to airports to assist passengers and combat illegal immigration. Random checks will also be conducted to detect fake documents and human trafficking.
While Bulgaria and Romania hope to fully integrate into Schengen later this year, concerns about road routes have slowed down the process. Austria has only made concessions for air and sea routes, as there are worries that road routes would make it easier for non-EU migrants to enter other countries in the bloc.
Despite being only partial members, Bulgaria and Romania see their admission to Schengen as an important milestone. The Schengen Area, established in 1985, allows over 400 million people to travel freely without internal border controls. With the addition of Bulgaria and Romania, the Schengen Area now includes 29 members.
Efforts are ongoing for both countries to join Schengen at land borders. Romanian truck drivers face long queues at border crossings, with the average waiting time at the Hungarian border reaching 16 hours. Businesses in both Bulgaria and Romania are eager for the full implementation of freedom of movement regulations, as road transport is crucial for their economies.
