kantseleis

Press Releases

- Reset + Print

President Ilves: border guards in Narva help to maintain the feeling of security throughout Estonia

President Ilves: border guards in Narva help to maintain the feeling of security throughout Estonia © Office of the President

02.05.2016

"Narva has now become one of the most modern and most technologically advanced border crossing points with the biggest and fastest capacity," acknowledged the President, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who today inspected the border crossing and customs point in Narva with Ieva Ilves.

The border crossing point that was renovated over the last year and a half is passed by approximately 8,500 persons per day, or 350 per hour and more than 1,500 vehicles during the day, or 65 means of transport per hour.

The Head of Narva Border Crossing Point, Üllar Kustala, and the Head of Customs Point, Voldemar Linno, stated that today complicated issues need to be handled at the border – within a minute or even a shorter period of time, inquiries need to be made regarding various large Estonian and foreign databases and one's own gut feeling needs to be taken into account in order to obtain maximum information when making a decision.

The Schengen Information System or SIS 2 allows the border guards, customs and police officers of the Member States to exchange information about possible criminals more easily. Thanks to the trans-European information system, highly different warnings can be sent and received regarding wanted criminals, people who have been banned from entering any country, or people who are missing, need protection or special control.

President Ilves emphasised that such a fast system can only be operated due to an effective network connection, and should the date exchange system of some of the participating countries fail, either due to technical issues or cyber attack, the respective country will be cut off from the common information space shared by the countries.

"This demonstrates the scope of international responsibility that we all share," told President Ilves.

The Head of State described the efficient border guard as one of the most important guarantees for domestic security, and this means that no more cuts can be made within the Police and Border Guard Board: "The security of Ida-Virumaa, and Estonia in general, relies on these people. They must all feel and understand that the work they do is important, and is crucial for all of us."


Office of the President
Public Relations Department