Hungary To Support Romania’s Full Schengen Membership by the End of 2024 &

Hungary To Support Romania’s Full Schengen Membership by the End of 2024

Charlie Immigration updates 5 September 2024 | Updated On September 9, 2024 | 0

Hungary's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister, Péter Szijjártó, announced during a visit to Bucharest that the Hungarian government is committed to helping Romania fully join the Schengen Area by the end of 2024. The Schengen Zone, which includes most EU countries, allows for free movement without internal land border controls.

While Romania and Bulgaria are part of the Schengen Zone by air and sea, from March 31, 2024, land border controls continue to remain in place.

As the current holder of the EU Council presidency, Hungary sees Romania’s Schengen membership as being in its own national interest. Removing border checks would ease congestion at crossings between the two countries, according to Szijjártó. This is particularly important for the ten road links that are currently only open on Saturdays, which would become fully operational.

The Hungarian minister emphasised that removing land border checks would strengthen connections between Hungarian communities on both sides of the border and would boost trade, as Romania is one of Hungary’s top export markets.

“We have everything to gain from Romania joining Schengen, and we’ll do everything possible to make it happen during Hungary’s EU presidency,”

Hungary's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister, Péter Szijjártó

Challenges Ahead

However, Hungary's support is not the only factor in Romania’s bid. Last time, Austria vetoed Romania's full Schengen entry, and Szijjártó hinted at hoping this won’t happen again. Without naming Austria directly, he expressed his desire for a united European stance on the matter, saying,

“We hope those who blocked Romania’s Schengen accession last time won’t prevent a European consensus this time.”

Another key point of Szijjártó’s visit was the signing of a bilateral agreement between Hungary and Romania to strengthen cross-border cooperation in criminal prosecutions. This agreement is aimed at enhancing the fight against illegal immigration, human trafficking, and organised crime, particularly since both countries are on a major route previously used by migrants and criminal networks.

By intensifying collaboration, Hungary and Romania aim to ensure their borders remain secure. Szijjártó emphasised that this firm stance against criminal activity will continue, benefiting both nations.

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