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President Ilves: the protection of the external borders of Schengen is the shared problem of the countries concerned
08.03.2010
Today, President Toomas Hendrik Ilves is visiting state authorities and companies in Valga. This morning, the Head of State met with representatives of the police and border guard to discuss co-operation between Estonia and Latvia and the problem of illegal immigration.
“Merging with the Schengen visa space was accompanied by greater responsibility to the European Union for Estonian police and border guards, as the efficiency of protecting Estonia’s eastern and south-eastern border shows how well the border of Schengen as a whole is protected,” emphasised President Ilves. “I’m pleased that the Estonian border is well-protected.”
The representatives of the Police and Border Guard Administration admitted at the meeting that the pressure of illegal immigration on Estonia is becoming more and more apparent. A large number of illegal immigrants who pass through Estonia are of Afghan origin, and they haven’t entered the Schengen visa space through the Russian-Estonian border crossings.
According to the Estonian Head of State, the protection of the external borders of the Schengen visa space depends on co-operation in the widest possible meaning of the word, apart from the internal efforts of many countries.
“I not only mean co-operation between the police and border guard authorities of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Sweden, but also the co-operation of all of us with the Russian authorities, as this is the very place from which many illegal refugees attempt to enter the European Union countries,” said President Ilves.
President Ilves will also meet with the representatives of Valga Town Government and Town Council, and the Valga-Valka Joint Secretariat, visit Valgamaa Professional Training Centre and the small enterprise OÜ Zacman, and have a discussion with the members of Valgamaa Business Club.
Office of the President
Public Relations Department
Phone +372 631 6229
