GERB Leader Borissov and Home Affairs EU Commissioner Brunner discuss Schengen external borders in Sofia

GERB leader Boyko Borissov discussed the protection of the Schengen Area’s external borders with European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner in Sofia on Monday, according to the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA).

The meeting was part of Brunner’s visit to Bulgaria and also covered topics such as the Pact on Migration and Asylum, migration management, Bulgaria’s integration into Schengen, and border management.

“Schengen is one of the EU’s greatest achievements. To preserve it, we must modernize it—through advanced technologies, secure external borders, and solidarity among Member States. Bulgaria has a key role in this. We are guarding the border not only for ourselves, but for the whole of Europe,” Borissov said during the meeting.

Bulgarian citizens are already seeing the benefits of Schengen. This was a long-awaited step that directly affects the lives of over 450 million Europeans—easier travel, more opportunities, less bureaucracy. Bulgaria is not simply part of Schengen—it is also its guardian, Borissov said.

Brunner, visiting Sofia on Monday, told BTA that safeguarding the 40-year-old Schengen Area demands constant renewal—strengthening external borders with modern IT systems, bolstering Frontex and giving Bulgaria a pivotal role in guarding the EU frontier.

The European Commission’s 2025 State of Schengen Report, released at the end of April this year, says Bulgaria and Romania’s full accession on January 1, 2025, has strengthened the EU economy by removing internal border delays worth EUR billions each year; it highlights joint operations at the Bulgarian–Turkish frontier to bolster external security and records the lowest level of illegal crossings since 2021 alongside a 12% rise in returns, underscoring Schengen’s continued benefit to nearly 450 million citizens.