Press Release: Operation Meteor records increased irregular migration at Bucharest Airport

The Meteor 2010 Joint Operation at Bucharest’s Otopeni (Henri Coanda) International Airport in Romania came to an end on 29 November 2010. The Frontex-coordinated operation was launched on November 17 to counter irregular immigration and cross-border crime. As a result of the airport’s enhanced security, a large number of irregular migrants (40) — chiefly originating from Africa and the Indian subcontinent — were detected. This represents a significant increase compared to the usual numbers of cases detected. The Member States taking part in the Joint Operation, in addition to Romania, were: Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia.