In 2009, Romanian Border Police detected more than 357
groups of migrants, 223 traffickers and 1,201 migrants - foreign
citizens - were identified.
In the same period, 64 cases of trafficking in persons were
ascertained, with 172 identified traffickers and 157 victims.
At the "green border", 595 foreigners were identified, who crossed
illegally the border in Romania or they tried to exit the country
crossing the border fraudulently.
In 2009, Romanian Border Police undertook firm measures, in all the competence areas, in order to detect and detain persons trying to transit illegally the Romanian state border and implicitly to prevent and counter illegal migration and trafficking in persons.
As a result of these measures, in the reference period (11 months of 2009) 357 groups of migrants were detected - 223 identified traffickers and 1,201 migrants - out of which 14 groups were organized for committing trafficking with migrants, according to Law 39/2003.
In the field of preventing and countering human trafficking, in 2009, as a result of the actions undertaken by the border policemen, 64 cases with 172 identified traffickers and 157 victims were identified.
At the "green border", 595 foreign citizens were discovered, out of which 381 persons entered illegally in Romania and 214 persons tried to exit the country crossing the border fraudulently.
In the border crossing points, both at entry and exit way in/from the country, 448 foreign citizens legitimating with false or falsified travel documents / visas and 472 foreigners hidden in transport means were detected. Also, 203 facilitators / transporters were discovered (95 Romanians and 108 foreign citizens), in comparison with the same period of 2008 when 150 facilitators / transporters were detected.
Out of the significant cases recorded in 2009, we present the following:
After a rapid operation, at Varsand Border Crossing
Point, the border policemen detained 38 Afghan migrants who were
intending to get illegally to the Schengen Area, hidden in a truck
transporting vegetables.
On 06.07.2009, around 03.00, at Varsand Border Crossing Point, Arad
County, presented on the exit way of the country a freight vehicle
registered in Bulgaria, driven by a Greek citizen, Stavros D., aged
38. According to the documents, the fright vehicle was loaded with
vegetables (green peppers) from Bulgaria for a commercial society
in Belgium.
Based on a risk analysis, the border policemen were suspicious
regarding the cargo of the transportation mean, reason for which
they intended to carry out a thorough control. Then, the border
policemen noticed how 30 male persons got out from under the
trailer of the freight vehicle, trying to run to the border with
Hungary, circumventing the specific control. Our employees set up
rapidly an operative team, who started looking for the fugitives.
Shortly, 38 male persons, of Afghan nationality, aged between 12
and 30, were detected and detained.
The border policemen from Arad detected in the trailer
of a freight vehicle loaded with fridges, 10 Afro-Asian citizens
intending to exit illegally from Romania. To the 10 Afro-Asians, 2
Afghans, 7 Pakistani and 1 Egyptian were issued criminal files for
committing attempt of illegal border crossing and the driver of the
truck - a Romanian citizen - is investigated for committing
trafficking with migrants.
On 25.05.2009, around 03.00, at Varşand Border Crossing Point,
Arad County, Cristian A. (Romanian citizen), aged 42, domiciled in
Dambovita County and driving a freight vehicle registered in
Dambovita County, presented to exit the country. He was
transporting, according to the supporting documents, fridges from a
society in Găeşti for a company in Italy.
Acting based on a risk analysis, the border policemen carried out a
control of the transport mean, using a CO2 detector in a closed
space (the endowment of the border crossing point) when they
detected that CO2 level is higher than the normal one.
As a result, having suspicions that in the freight vehicle were
hidden persons for crossing the border illegally to the neighbour
country the border policemen carried out a thorough control. Thus,
in the transport mean, in the front part of the trailer, in a place
specially arranged, 10 persons were detected trying to exit
illegally from Romania. It resulted that the group was made up of 2
Afghans, 7 Pakistani and 1 Egyptian, all men, aged between 16 and
48.
In January, the border policemen from Maramures
detected 25 persons in the border area and for their detention it
was necessary to execute 11 warning fires vertically, according to
the legislation in force.
Based on the data and information of Maramures County Inspectorate
of Border Police regarding the presence of groups of Asian citizens
on the Ukrainian territory intending to exit illegally the Romanian
state border, the border policemen from Maramures organized several
actions in the field of countering illegal migration.
The persons involved were caught by the border policemen on
24.01.2009, around 03.30, in Teceu Mic locality, while they were
entering illegally in our country, in the competence area of
Sarasau Border Police Sector.
Because the persons involved did not comply with the legal summons
and at the same time they tried to spread out in several directions
it was necessary to execute 11 warning fires vertically, according
to the legal provisions, so that there weren't injured persons and
the territory of the neighbouring state would not be violated.
The group made up of 25 persons was finally detained. Based on the
investigations carried out it was established that the group was
comprised of 15 Pakistani - aged between 23 and 65, 5 citizens from
Afghanistan - aged between 24 and 64, 4 citizens from India - aged
19 and 37, as well as a citizen from Tibet, aged 35.
The preliminary documents were issued in order to begin the penal
pursuit for committing illegal border crossing and based on the
agreement concluded with the neighbour country the persons involved
were handed over to the Ukrainian authorities for continuing the
investigations.
The border policemen from Bihor detected (near the
border with Hungary) a group of migrants made up of 10 Pakistani
and two facilitators (Slovaks) trying to cross illegally the
Romanian state border.
On 05.03.2009, around 02.00, on the occasion of surveillance and
control missions carried out in the competence area, the border
policemen within Valea lui Mihai Border Police Sector, Bihor
County, detected a group made up by several persons who were
heading towards the Hungarian territory.
The persons involved were detained, at a distance of approximately
1 km. from the border line and taken to the Headquarters of the
sector for investigations. From the verification carried out and
their statements it was established that 10 of them were Pakistani,
aged between 20 and 35, all were asylum seekers and two were Slovak
citizens dealing with the facilitation of the Pakistani till near
the border, indicating the route.
The border policemen issued preliminary documents to the persons
involved in order to begin the penal pursuit for committing illegal
border crossing.
Romania is included on the "Balkan route" of illegal migration, reason for which it must action - through specialized institutions - for the efficient management of the phenomenon in order to ensure the safety of state and own citizens.
Romanian Border Police undertakes all the necessary measures for the organization of an efficient control in all the competence areas (in the crossing points - on the entry and exit way in / from the country at the "green border" and 30 km. from the border line inside the country), implementing all 4 control filters, according to the European practices.
Our institution appreciates that an intense inter-institutional cooperation at European level and an operational and efficient exchange of data and information at national level represent viable means of countering illegal migration and trafficking in persons.