Security as a Priority in Border Control

The free movement of people is one of the most important achievements of European integration. Based on trust between the Member States of the European Union, this freedom facilitates economic, political, and social relations between their citizens and the acquisition of all the benefits that this entails. However, alongside with privileges, it also requires an increased commitment to border control, because, in addition to national security and interests, border lines also protect community security and interests. In view of the full accession of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Schengen area and the official adoption by the Council of the European Union on 14 May 2024 of a new Pact on Migration and Asylum, the fact that the Regulations that make up its content provide for measures to protect national and/or internal security determines the author‘s interest in distinguishing between the two. The article presents the common dimensions of national and internal security and, by commenting on the definitions of the terms and tracing the legal framework in which they find their place, concludes on their similarity or differences.