Heavy traffic at Easter
On the occasion of the Easter holidays, the Romanian Border Police took measures to supplement the staff, in order to streamline the traffic, which was 150% heavier than in 2021
Daniela Budu, 26.04.2022, 14:00
On the occasion of the Orthodox Easter holidays, the inbound traffic this year at the Romanian borders was heavy again, but the number of Romanians who went abroad to celebrate Easter, or to just join their families after the pandemic restrictions were lifted was also very high. Adding to those were people who returned after travelling abroad for Catholic Easter, which this year was celebrated a week earlier than the Orthodox one.The Border Police has announced that traffic at the Romanian borders increased by 150% compared to last year. According to a communiqué, between April 22-24, over 500,000 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, and approximately 120,000 vehicles went through the regular border check procedures, both upon entering and existing the country.
The Border Police has also informed that during this period they ordered measures to streamline traffic, as well as to strengthen the surveillance of the state borders, so as to avoid any special events. About 4,200 border guards were on duty on a daily basis carrying out border surveillance and control missions. The capacity of the border crossing points was also used to the maximum, and depending on the traffic, checkpoints on the way in or out of the country were supplemented.
According to the Border Police, the supplied mobile control equipment was used where the situation required it. This year, the busiest border was the air border where, between April 22 and 24, about 200,000 people completed the necessary procedures, as well as the land border with Hungary, with over 140,000 people and 54,000 vehicles crossing it over the same period. Less crowded was the border at the Iron Gates in southwestern Romania, which was used by those who traveled through Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia. Authorities recommended this border to those who came from Western Europe heading for southern Romania. In fact, as every year, the authorities recommended that participants in cross-border traffic use all crossing points and check waiting times on the online traffic application, which can still be accessed on the website of the border police.
In the context of the war started by Russia in the neighbouring country, according to the authorities, several thousand Ukrainians kept entering Romania every day, both through the common customs and via the Republic of Moldova. Since the beginning of the conflict, more than two months ago, a total of almost 800 thousand Ukrainian citizens have entered our country. Most are on their way to Western Europe, but there have also been several thousand who have sought asylum in Romania. (MI)
