Minister Kalin Stoyanov: We are ready for Schengen
The Minister of the Interior, together with the Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Director of the General Directorate of Internal Affairs, verified on the spot the technical readiness of the National Directorate of Internal Affairs and Communications – Airports
Aerogari is fully ready for the implementation of the Schengen procedures by air. This was stated by the Minister of Internal Affairs, who inspected the work of border police officers at the “Sofia Airport” border crossing. From the end of March, citizens traveling to Schengen will not be subject to border control, Minister Stoyanov told journalists who saw the ready-made Border Police counters, through which from March 31, 2024, only citizens traveling to countries which are not part of the Schengen area. Minister Stoyanov praised the employees of the “Border Police” for their handling of the migrant pressure: It is important for us to manage the state border as before – in the last 24 hours, 29 attempts to illegally cross the Bulgarian border were prevented, and on the same day last year they were were 203. The decrease in migrant pressure has been a sustainable trend for several months, he pointed out.
The fact that border checks for Schengen countries are abolished does not mean that police control is abolished, said the director of the DG “Border Police”, ch. Commissioner Anton Zlatanov. We will emphasize operational work, risk analysis, but we will not reduce security measures, Chief Commissioner Zlatanov said.
It also became clear how the children will travel after the end of March. After March 31, 2024, border checks on minors leaving the country through internal air and sea borders will be abolished. In this regard, DG Border Police will not require the provision of written consent from the parents upon leaving the country of minors and minors of Bulgarian citizens at internal air and sea borders traveling to Schengen countries. The requirement to carry an ID remains. Parents should know that the principle of general consent for the issuance of a passport and for leaving the territory of the country, enshrined in the national legislation (in the Law on Bulgarian Personal Documents and the Family Code), must be respected. In the event of a dispute between the parents on these matters, the dispute shall be resolved by the district court at the child’s current address. The Declaration of Consent for the Travel of a Child will continue to be required at internal land and external borders. It is also reserved for flights to countries outside Schengen.
