Austria conditions Romania and Bulgaria’s Schengen entry on air travel, allowing passport-free air trips while keeping land border restrictions. The relaxation hinges on a triple increase in EU funding for immigration and both countries accepting extradited asylum seekers. All EU countries’ approval is needed.
Austria’s prerequisites for Schengen inclusion, focusing on air travel:
- Triple Frontex staff in Bulgaria, with EU financial support for frontier protection.
- Improved border surveillance between Romania-Bulgaria and Hungary-Romania.
- Austrian advisers aiding document matters at airports in Romania and Bulgaria.
- Both Balkan countries receiving asylum seekers, especially from Afghanistan and Syria.
Austria blocked Romania and Bulgaria’s Schengen entry due to irregular migration concerns, insisting on a “better, not bigger” Schengen Area. Despite discussions at an EU Interior Ministers meeting, Austria maintains its veto. Bulgarian PM supports Schengen entry for stronger EU borders, but Austria’s veto remains unchanged, unrelated to border protection efforts.
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