Dutch Parliament votes for Bulgaria to join Schengen free travel area

Bulgarian national radio reported on December 22 that the Dutch Parliament voted in favor of Bulgaria's admission into the Schengen free travel area.

The Dutch Parliament votes for Bulgaria to join the Schengen free travel area. (Source: etias.com)

The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, formerly led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, voted in favor of Bulgaria becoming a full member of Schengen, the station said.

Meanwhile, the Party for Freedom abstained. Bulgaria is currently continuing negotiations with Austria, the only country that has not yet approved Sofia's entry into Schengen.

In another related development, Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov stressed that the Netherlands' decision to "give the green light" for Bulgaria to become a member of Schengen has put Sofia in a better position in negotiations with Austria.

“The talks are ongoing and will conclude in a way that takes into account Austria’s concerns, as it has a serious problem with migration,” he said.

The Schengen free travel area includes 23 of the 27 European Union (EU) member states plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

So far, both the Netherlands and Austria have blocked Bulgaria's efforts to join Schengen over concerns that the flow of refugees could increase if the Schengen area is expanded.

Dutch Deputy Justice Minister Eric van der Burg said the government had "concluded that Bulgaria meets the conditions for joining Schengen" by strengthening border controls and combating illegal migration, European media reported. However, Van der Burg added that Bulgaria must "continue its efforts to strengthen its borders."

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/quoc-hoi-ha-lan-bo-phieu-viec-bulgaria-gia-nhap-khu-vuc-di-lai-tu-do-schengen-254912.html