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Squads of Romania's and Ukraine's border control institutions will cooperate for the joint patrolling of the border between the two countries in order to combat illegal crossing by smugglers and migrants, informs a government release.
To this effect, the government approved a bill ratifying the Agreement between the Government of Romania and Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers on the joint patrolling of the Romanian-Ukrainian state border signed in Bucharest on April 21, 2016.
The government also adopted a decision approving the protocol signed by Romania's Ministry of Internal Affairs, through the General Border Police Inspectorate, and Ukraine's State Border Guard Service on May 31, 2016 at Sucevita, for the implementation of the Agreement.
According to the government, the protocol has a predominantly technical content and regulates certain aspects such as the detailed conditions for the organization and carrying out of joint patrol activities; the content of the request to organize joint patrols; the concrete details for the joint patrols; models for the preparation and carrying out of the briefing and reporting of the patrol results.
Joint patrolling takes place in the areas under the responsibility of border control structures of the Territorial Inspectorates of the Romanian Border Police and of the Romanian Coast Guard or of Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, depending on the situation at the state border; as a rule, it takes place near the common state border, the release says.
According to the cited source, joint patrolling envisages, inter alia, ensuring compliance with the legal regime of the common state border so as to prevent illegal crossing of the border by persons, vehicles and goods outside official border checkpoints.
Joint patrols are also aimed at preventing and combating illegal migration and crimes related thereto, but also at spotting and apprehending the persons who crossed or attempted to illegally cross the state border, those involved in recruiting or smuggle-guiding people and the organization of such activities.
Other goals of joint patrolling are checking the persons and vehicles in the area of competence, on-site supervision of the areas that can be used for illegal crossing of the state border and exchanging experience in the field of border surveillance.
The government states that joint patrolling represents a manner of cooperation that meets the Schengen practices and recommendations.
According to the EU Schengen Catalogue - External border control, readmission and extradition, improving border security should represent the aim of cooperation with neighboring third countries. As a best practice, the Catalogue mentions organizing joint / mixed patrols with the competent authorities of the neighboring third country.
