First migrants caught trying to illegally leave Romania after Schengen accession

Authorities in Arad, western Romania, apprehended the first two migrants attempting to leave the country illegally after Romania’s full accession to the Schengen Area.

The individuals, citizens of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, were found traveling on a bus heading to Germany. The two were uncovered after a random inspection by border police officers from the Nădlac Border Police Sector.

"During the control, a Sri Lankan citizen presented a passport issued by Sri Lankan authorities, which contained an expired Romanian visa. In the same vehicle, another individual presented a passport. Upon inspection, border police noted discrepancies between the person’s appearance and the photo in the document. Both individuals were taken to the sector headquarters for further verification, where it was confirmed they were citizens of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, aged 47 and 24, respectively," stated a press release issued by the Arad Border Police and cited by Agerpres.

The two migrants are under investigation for attempting to illegally cross the state border. Additionally, the man from Bangladesh is being investigated for identity forgery.

Romania and Bulgaria became fully-fledged Schengen Area members on January 1, 2025, after lengthy negotiations with Austria. The authorities in the latter country were particularly concerned with illegal migration.

(Photo source: Politia Romana de Frontiera on Facebook)