Home Affairs Minister Catalin Predoiu told the Border Police on Wednesday, on their 160th anniversary, that Romania is a safer country due to the activity carried out at the borders, including with Ukraine.
"Thanks to your service, the country is safer. And we have a safe country. I would like to emphasise it, including in terms of border protection. I say it fully knowledgeable about facts, I say it based on the information I have at the ministerial level, based on discussions that my colleagues have had, on statistics, on what we know from the field. Of course, there is always room for improvement, but I do not hesitate to say it: the result of the work of the Border Police is excellent," Predoiu said.
He added that the result could not be achieved without the professionalism, integrity and patriotism of the employees of the Border Police.
"These three values are the basis of our activity and of your branch and will continue to be! And I am asking you all to continue to respect them: professionalism, integrity, patriotism! There are serious challenges ahead of us. Of course, we have a good result on migration, but it must be maintained as such, amidst geopolitical events in the neighbourhood or further away that can generate migratory flows increasing pressure on the country's borders. We have successfully entered the Schengen area with two borders and you have fulfilled your new tasks, the new challenges, from the way border guarding and border controls are carried out in under the new visa processing regulations."
He commended the Border Police for their results, namely a 73% plunge in illegal migration and of 83% on the flow of entry, in the first six months of 2024.
"There is a concern and an action at the same time at the level of the ministry, through its branches, first of all the Romanian Police, in terms of combating drug trafficking. But here you also have a very important role, because, indeed, you are the first line of defence, along with the other lines."
Predoiu added that Romania does not have significant problems with arms, drugs or human trafficking its border with Ukraine.
"There is a concern at European level, from what I have seen, at the JHA councils, in relation to this subject. And I do not miss any opportunity to emphasise that we have no problems, we manage the situation without difficulty. But at the same time, I also want to assure you that we will keep up a high level of attention. Another important priority for us will be to maintain cooperation, internal cooperation with the other branches, I have already mentioned that, and also cooperation with the border police, first of all from the neighbouring countries, as well as with European agencies FRONTEX and EUROPOL, where appropriate," Predoiu said.
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