According to Stoianov, 160,000 attempts at unlawful border crossing have been thwarted by Bulgarian officials thus far this year, up from 100,000 attempts during the same period previous year, according to EU Helpers.

Concerns about illegal immigration were cited by Austria and the Netherlands as the major justification for both nations' decision to obstruct Bulgaria and Romania's entry into the Schengen Area in December of last year. Recent data, however, indicate that Bulgaria has increased its efforts in this area.

Minister Stoianov stated that there were days in the previous month when there were approximately 1,000 to 1,500 unauthorized border crossings per day, and he expressed his optimism that the nation will achieve the desired outcome in December of this year.

According to the Minister, he will visit Austria on October 4 to meet with Austrian counterparts, together with Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov and a group from Bulgaria.

According to the G4 Media article, the Minister claimed that the nation was able to reduce the number of arrests made within the state, proving that the Ministry of Internal Affairs' border services are aggressively carrying out their duties.

He focused on the fact that there are getting smaller numbers of Bulgarians and thought this mostly applied to people from Moldova, Ukraine, Poland, and other nations.

Authorities in Austria have reiterated their continued opposition to the entry of these two Balkan nations into the zone without borders, nevertheless. Previously, the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that there is no sense in expanding the Schengen system as long as it is ineffective.

Romania's prime minister, Marcel Ciolacu, threatened to sue Austria for blocking his country's entry into the Schengen Area last month.

Additionally, Romania earlier proposed a measure that was brought before the Romanian Parliament; if adopted, the law would compel the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the nation to vote against any project from nations that opposed its membership in the visa-free travel zone.

When asked if Bulgaria would follow Romania's lead, the Minister responded, "I have no way to comment on Romania's actions," adding that the Ministry would still carry out its mandate as the Interior Ministry.

Both Bulgaria and Romania have been waiting to join the Schengen Area for more than ten years, but the procedure has not yet been completed.