{"id":26619,"date":"2025-01-02T00:03:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-01T22:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=26619"},"modified":"2025-01-02T21:49:43","modified_gmt":"2025-01-02T19:49:43","slug":"romania-and-bulgaria-fully-join-borderless-schengen-zone-after-13-year-wait","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/romania-and-bulgaria-fully-join-borderless-schengen-zone-after-13-year-wait\/","title":{"rendered":"Romania and Bulgaria fully join borderless Schengen Zone after 13-year wait"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>4 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Romania and Bulgaria officially joined the Schengen Area, marking the end of a 13-year wait for the two Eastern European nations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now encompassing 29 countries, the borderless travel zone witnessed its most recent expansion at midnight on January 1, 2025, as land border checks between Bulgaria, Romania, and their neighboring EU member states were opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This significant step was made possible after Austria and other previously dissenting members of the Schengen Area dropped their objections. The milestone was celebrated with ceremonies at various border posts, including the Ruse-Giurgiu border crossing between Bulgaria and Romania, and a crossing between Hungary and Romania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Romania\u2019s Interior Minister, Lucian Bode, and his Bulgarian counterpart, Kalin Stoyanov, marked the occasion with a joint appearance at the Ruse-Giurgiu crossing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is a dream come true for Romanians, Bulgarians, and all Europeans who believe in a borderless and united Europe,\u201d said Bode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The removal of land border checks follows the partial Schengen membership granted to Romania and Bulgaria in March 2024. This membership allowed free travel by air and sea but left land borders under control due to security concerns. Later in December 2024, EU member states decided to remove checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania from 1 January 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>13-years wait<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Romania and Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007, but their Schengen accession faced prolonged delays, primarily due to objections from Austria. Critics cited insufficient measures by the two countries to control unauthorized migration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Austria\u2019s reservations were lifted after concerted efforts from the Hungarian government during its six-month EU presidency. Hungary, which shares historical and cultural ties with Romania through the ethnic Hungarian community in Transylvania, played a pivotal role in advocating for the Schengen integration of the two nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"ro\" dir=\"ltr\">2025 is a historic year for \ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddf4 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Romania?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Romania<\/a>, \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddec <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Bulgaria?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Bulgaria<\/a> and its people. <br><br>Full accession to the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SchengenEU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#SchengenEU<\/a> responds to a European promise and a legitimate expectation. <br><br>This marks an important milestone in our history.<br><br>Bine a\u021bi venit<br>\u0414\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0435 \u0434\u043e\u0448\u043b\u0438! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JWQHt4KoBp\">pic.twitter.com\/JWQHt4KoBp<\/a><\/p>&mdash; EU Home Affairs (@EUHomeAffairs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EUHomeAffairs\/status\/1874380042794631408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 1, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><br>\u201cIt is a historic moment to finally welcome Bulgaria and Romania as full Schengen members. Lifting checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between those member states has been a top priority for the Hungarian presidency, and today we have made it a reality. This step will benefit not only Bulgarian and Romanian citizens, but also the EU as a whole,\u201d Sandor Pinter, Hungarian Minister for Home Affairs, said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Historical and cultural context<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Schengen Area, one of Europe\u2019s hallmark achievements, was first established in 1985 by five founding members: France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. Over the years, it has expanded into the largest border-free zone globally, facilitating the daily movement of millions across internal borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria represents the zone\u2019s first major expansion since Croatia\u2019s admission in 2023. The Schengen Area now includes 23 EU member countries along with non-EU states Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Incorporating the two Balkan nations into Schengen also strengthens connections between Hungary and Romania. The approximately one million ethnic Hungarians living in Transylvania, a legacy of Hungary\u2019s territorial losses after World War I, stand to benefit significantly from eased cross-border travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Challenges for Schengen Area<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite its achievements, the Schengen Area has faced criticism and challenges in recent years. Several member states, including Austria, Germany, and the Netherlands, reinstated temporary border checks in response to migration concerns and security threats. Such measures raised fears among EU officials about the potential erosion of Schengen\u2019s foundational principles.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Bulgaria-Romania-border-police.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"542\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Bulgaria-Romania-border-police.jpg?resize=1016%2C542&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Bulgarian and Romanian border police\" class=\"wp-image-26620\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Bulgaria-Romania-border-police.jpg?resize=1024%2C546&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Bulgaria-Romania-border-police.jpg?resize=300%2C160&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Bulgaria-Romania-border-police.jpg?resize=768%2C409&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Bulgaria-Romania-border-police.jpg?w=1100&amp;ssl=1 1100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Bulgarian and Romanian border police are pictured at the Romanian-Bulgarian customs point in Giurgiu, as Romania and Bulgaria both join the Schengen bloc, Romania, December 31, 2024. (Image Credit: Inquam Photos\/George Calin\/via Reuters)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The integration of Romania and Bulgaria into Schengen is viewed as a reaffirmation of the bloc\u2019s commitment to unity and free movement, even as internal pressures test its resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The accession of Bulgaria and Romania is expected to yield substantial economic and social benefits for the region. Businesses, tourists, and residents will now enjoy uninterrupted movement, fostering greater trade, tourism, and cultural exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over 420 million people currently reside within the Schengen Area, with about 3.5 million crossing internal borders daily. The seamless integration of Romania and Bulgaria will further enhance this dynamic, reinforcing the Schengen Area\u2019s status as a cornerstone of European integration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While challenges to the Schengen Area\u2019s cohesion persist, the accession of Romania and Bulgaria underscores the enduring appeal of a borderless Europe and the shared commitment of its members to overcome obstacles in pursuit of unity and progress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Romania and Bulgaria officially joined the Schengen Area, marking the end of a 13-year wait. Now encompassing 29 countries, the borderless travel zone witnessed its most recent expansion as land border checks between Bulgaria, Romania, and their neighboring EU member states were opened.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[62,1],"tags":[94,57,24,357,304,254,71,52,113],"class_list":["post-26619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-news","tag-austria","tag-bulgaria","tag-eu","tag-europe","tag-hungary","tag-immigration","tag-politics","tag-romania","tag-security"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Romania-Bulgaria-Schengen.png?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-6Vl","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26619"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26619\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26641,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26619\/revisions\/26641"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}