On September 9, 2024, Cătălin Predoiu, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Internal Affairs, met with German and Austrian journalists on a documentary visit to Romania and the Republic of Moldova. In addition to the talks at the ministerial level, their visit also gave rise to discussions at the level of the Romanian Border Police, where foreign journalists could observe the Border Police Coordination Center - in Henri Coandă International Airport, and the method of action of the Romanian authorities for the effective protection of the borders of Romania and the EU, for the benefit of European citizens at the Isaccea border crossing point.
The discussions were an opportunity for the Romanian side to present a more detailed picture of the main topics of priority interest for Romania, with an emphasis on the Schengen issue and Romania's involvement in managing the effects of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
The manner in which Romania managed the first stage of accession to the Schengen area with air and maritime borders was extensively addressed, as well as the manner of action in the perspective of lifting controls at internal land borders as well.
During the discussions, the Minister of Internal Affairs made an x-ray of the efforts of the MIA structures, which worked in an integrated manner to ensure a climate of safety inside the country and to reduce migration flows at the borders of Romania and the EU. The constant efforts and the results recorded by the Romanian authorities were recognized including by ranking five Romanian cities in the top 100 safest cities in the world.
The Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Internal Affairs, also highlighted the proactive approach of the Romanian authorities who, in the perspective of lifting the controls at the internal land borders, have strengthened the cooperation and exchange of information with the immediate neighbors and with the EU Member States: projects are underway with all neighboring countries - for example with Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine - with very good results. Mixed patrols, exchange of information, risk assessments, contact points, exchange of experience, contacts at the top between the head of the Border Police and counterparts are organized, as is the case with the Romanian Police.
The exchange of views on combating illegal migration, according to Minister Predoiu, revealed that Romania is one of the safest countries in Europe. The statistics provide a clear and objective picture of the level of flows - not only Romania's statistics, but also the official ones of the FRONTEX Agency and the analyzes carried out at the level of the European Commission, recognized by all Member States and used as a point of reference in their operational decisions. The considerable decrease in flows over the past year maintains its downward trend, reaching in the first 7 months of 2024 a number of 2,349 detections, down 75% compared to the same period last year.
These are the result of the measures taken by the Romanian side - from strengthening the application of the Dublin regulation, integrated measures to prevent illegal exit from Romania, streamlining returns - to compensatory measures to prevent the increase of illegal migration on the territory, an application has also been developed that allows the verification of any type of the document just by scanning it.
The migration figures, which, reach a historical minimum, constitute a strong argument in favor of continuing the steps on the technical level of the MAI's action in the perspective of the finalization of Schengen (land borders).
In addition to ongoing efforts, considered from now on as "business as usual", the structures of the Ministry of the Interior are also working on the implementation of the Pact on migration and asylum and the new European information systems.
"The low values of illegal migration, the continuous annual decrease of this phenomenon at Romania's borders, as well as the involvement of the Romanian side in various projects to strengthen border protection justify, once again, the legitimacy of lifting controls at the land borders during this year. Based on our efforts, we built the first step towards Schengen, and in the same way we want to build the second one now. In this way, the MIA practically ensures the fulfillment of the technical premises that are within its competence, border control and the correct management of the Schengen systems, a fact publicly recognized by all our partners, EU Member States, including Austria and Hungary, as well as by the European Commission. We are aware at the same time that the decision will be a political one", said Cătălin Predoiu.
Journalists' interest also focused on the support given to Ukrainian citizens displaced by the war of aggression. The minister reviewed the sustained efforts made by the Romanian authorities to manage in all aspects the large number of people who entered Romania since the beginning of the conflict.
