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External borders
The European Union is determined to clamp down on illegal immigration and prevent abuses of a system designed to handle bona fide immigrants and to guarantee the security of its own citizens. This involves strengthening the EU's external frontiers, particularly to the east and south. It imposes considerable responsibilities on new EU members who, for reasons of geography, now take over management of large parts of these frontiers. They are receiving EU financial support for increased cooperation between border guards, police and customs officers as well as for the adoption of modern techniques like computerised fingerprinting and personal data identification.
The implementation of the updated National Acton Plan for the Adoption of the Schengen Acquis has lead to further positive changes in the country’s policy towards the establishment of a high level of control at the external borders. One of the main accomplishments has been the replacement of all conscripts by professional border police by December 2002. The first regional center for training and education of border police was established in November 2000. Since then, all border police officers are trained in short-term specialized border police training courses, according to the Schengen standards.
Bulgaria is in the process of substantially upgrading its high-tech equipment for border control. Priority in the order of installation of the equipment is being given to the external borders with Turkey and the Black Sea Coast. A new Automated Information System on “wanted vehicles” is now fully operational. Regarding cooperation of the border police with neighboring countries, the Council of Ministers approved new Agreements based upon Article 7 of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement, with Greece and with Romania in April 2003.
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