MEP Vlad Gheorghe (USR) states that, despite the fact that Romania became a member of the “Air Schengen” space starting from March 31, the passports of Romanians are still checked at the airports in the Schengen space. He intends to file formal complaints with the European Commission and the airports concerned.
Romanians, discriminated at European airports, after entering Air Schengen – Photo Shutterstock
MEP Vlad Gheorghe claims that Romanians are discriminated at airports in Europe, because their documents are also checked after Romania’s entry into the Schengen area with air and sea borders.
“Romanians, keep checking at Europe’s airports! Discrimination continues, even if Romania is in Schengen. I will send official complaints to the European Commission and the airports in the member states where Romanians’ passports are still controlled, although since March 31 our country is part of the single European air and sea traffic area. It is a clear abuse on the part of the respective national authorities, there cannot be fixed sample checks on Romanian planes, and sample checks do not mean that you check all the documents for each of those traveling from Romania.“, writes Vlad Gheorghe on Facebook.
In addition, he says that he personally went through a similar situation in Paris, but also that Romanians have reported similar situations to him, in which their documents were checked at the airports in Amsterdam and Munich.
“I was personally checked in upon landing in Paris yesterday April 1st without any explanation. We received numerous messages from Romanian citizens who were similarly checked at Amsterdam and Munich airports. I repeat, not by poll, not randomly, but obviously organized a document check point by the border police when getting off the planes flying from Romania. The stuttering of the police I interviewed at the Paris airport confirms that there was no routine screening action. At my insistence, they tried to say that they would also check other destinations, not only the Romanian ones, but in the entire airport, in the Schengen terminal, I did not encounter another similar point, and the respective agents did not move to another gate from a flight from another European country, changing its story – “we’re going, but later, we don’t know where, it’s being passed on to us by our superiors, we’re waiting”. To top it off, they were waiting, checking every European citizen who got off the plane from Bucharest, a pure coincidence, of course.”, completes the MEP.
Vlad Gheorghe indicates that he will bring this situation to the attention of the PSD-PNL government.
“I will also report this situation to the PSD-PNL government led by Marcel Ciolacu, I am very curious to see how Ministers Predoiu, Gorghiu and Odobescu defend their obviously discriminated citizens, what is the position of the Romanian embassies in the respective countries and what measures are they going to take to prevent such abuses. Otherwise, they are the first to brag about these crumbs of Schengen shamefully accepted after more than 12 years since we meet all the required conditions. Maybe President Iohannis is willing to pronounce on the violation of Romanians’ rights, now that there is a wind code in Romania and it would be useless to go to the golf course, and there is no good snow for skiing anymore. I’m not talking about the request for compensation of billions of euros annually from Austria, because friend Nehammer, colleague in the EPP with Iohannis, Ciucă and the company can’t be bothered for such nonsense that concerns Romania and the Romanians.“, writes the MEP.
On March 31, Romania entered the air and maritime Schengen Area. People flying to or from Schengen member states will no longer have to go through border control. However, there may be police checks to establish the legal status of individuals. They aim to prevent cross-border crime and illegal migration.
The accession of a country to the Schengen Area has the effect of lifting controls between the internal borders between the Schengen member states, which fully apply the Schengen acquis, creating a single external border, where controls are carried out according to a set of clear visa rules, migration, asylum, as well as measures related to police, judicial or customs cooperation, says the Border Police.
