Traffic through border points
In the last week, the border police carried out the formalities for crossing the border for 473,000 people, out of which 233,600 people entered the country and 239,400 left Romania. At the same time, 170,600 means of transport crossed the border this week, of which 71,200 were freight vehicles.
Depending on the dynamics of the traffic values, all the measures within the competence of the institution for the smoothing of the cross-border traffic, especially that of the means of transport, were immediately ordered. In this regard, the Border Police personnel who carry out their activity in the control of documents was supplemented, respectively the control arteries were supplemented up to the maximum capacity allowed by the infrastructure of each border crossing point.
On a daily basis, approximately 3,500 border guards carry out surveillance and control activities at the state border, both at border crossing points and in the border area.
Permanent contact is also maintained with the authorities of neighboring States with a view to establishing joint measures so that border control can be carried out efficiently.
Furthermore, we recommend to the Romanian and foreign citizens who transit the national border during this period to use all the border points open in the international regime and to be informed about the travel conditions in the destination and transit states.
Illegal migration
In the last week, 51 foreign nationals were found trying to cross the border illegally (23 on the border with Hungary and 28 on the border with Serbia), most of them citizens of India, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Afghanistan.
At T.I.B.P. Timisoara level, following measures to close the travel routes of migrants on the border with Serbia, this week the prevention of entry into the country of 1,700 people was managed.
Also, actions were carried out in an integrated system to prevent illegal migration, being detected 84 foreign citizens who could not justify their presence in Timisoara, most of them asylum seekers who were directed to the accommodation centers of the General Inspectorate for Immigration.
An analysis of illegal migration indicates that our country remains a transit area for illegal migrants on their way to Western European states. Thus, in the first ten months of 2021, following surveillance and control actions of the state border, approximately 13,500 foreign nationals were detected in the area of competence, who tried to cross the state border illegally, of which 8,000 in the direction of entry into the country and 5,400 foreigners on the way out of the country.
In the next period, the measures ordered by the P.F.R. in order to limit the number of people who intend to enter the country by crossing the border illegally will be maintained, the day / night observation equipment being supplemented and used to maximum capacity, and especially thermal imaging equipment. The state border surveillance device has also been strengthened and is acting in an integrated system, by carrying out joint actions with other institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Police, Gendarmerie, General Inspectorate for Aviation).
It is also worth mentioning that, in recent weeks, the Romanian border guards on the Coast Guard maritime surveillance ship “Ştefan cel Mare”, on a FRONTEX mission, have participated in several rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea, together with the Italian authorities. During the operations, more than 260 people of different nationalities were rescued, including about 100 minors who were in danger at sea on overcrowded boats.
Illegal cigarette trafficking
Combating the phenomenon of smuggled cigarette trafficking is a priority and permanent objective of the Romanian Border Police, both through its own institutional steps and through collaboration with other state structures or with representatives of civil society.
In the last week, specific actions have been taken to combat cigarette smuggling, with over 60,000 packs of smuggled cigarettes being detected, both at the T.I.B.P. Sighet, Iaşi, Coast Guard level as well as in 23 home searches in the counties of Galați, Iași and Suceava for the dismantling of a tobacco smuggling network.
At the same time, in the first ten months of 2021, the border police discovered, during the specific activity, over 3.5 million packs of cigarettes, with a value of 45.6 million lei.
In view of the damage caused to the state budget, the Romanian Border Police will continue to undertake, together with the other competent institutions, firm measures in all areas of competence, in order to detect and sanction the persons involved, as well as to detain confiscated goods.
Waste
The Romanian Border Police carries out joint actions with the competent national authorities, by providing operational support, in order to prevent and combat criminal phenomena related to waste management in the area of responsibility.
In the last week, at the level of the Romanian Border Police, several attempts of illegal introduction of waste in Romania were registered, in total 73 tons being detected consisting of waste paper, aluminum and components of agricultural machinery, which were stopped at the entrance in the country.
At the same time, in the first ten months of 2021, more than 170 cases of illegal waste shipments from the United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Germany, Greece and Norway were identified.
Following the verifications carried out by the competent authorities (National Environmental Guard, General Directorate of Customs, etc.), it was established that the goods, in a total quantity of over 14,000 tons, were waste, and did not correspond to the data declared and included in the documents submitted to the customs authority, respectively, did not meet the legal entry conditions from the point of view of environmental legislation, which is why they were not allowed to enter the territory of Romania.
