The Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) is part of the Integrated Border Management Fund, together with the Custom Control Equipment Instrument.
The allocation reserved to BMVI for the period 2021-2027 corresponds to EUR 6.4 billion.
BMVI’s mission is to ensure a strong and effective European integrated border management at the Union’s external borders, ensuring a high level of internal security within the Union while safeguarding the free movement of persons within it.
BMVI will contribute to the achievement of two specific objectives:
- to support an effective European integrated border management at the external borders, implemented by the European Border and Coast Guard as a shared responsibility with the national authorities responsible for border management, to facilitate legitimate border crossings, to prevent and detect illegal immigration and cross-border crime and to effectively manage migratory movements
- to support the common visa policy, to ensure a harmonised approach with regard to the issuance of visas and to facilitate legitimate travel, while helping to prevent migratory and security risks
The Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Latvia is the managing authority for the BMVI planning period 2021-2027.
On 15 November 2022, the European Commission approved the national programme of the BMVI for the period 2021-2027, submitted by the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Latvia, amounting to EUR 123.5 million. In 2024, following the allocation of additional European Union funding, the total funding of BMVI national programme is EUR 166.7 million.
The aim of the planning period 2021-2027 is to create a strong and modern security of Latvia's external border, thereby helping to ensure a high level of internal security in the European Union. It is also planned to modernize the common visa policy with a view to facilitating legal travel and addressing migration and security risks.
The precarious situation in third countries and the provocation inherent in their hybrid war on Latvia's external borders require significant action to modernize the border by implementing integrated and border management adapted to the challenges of the 21st century, including by introducing new digital security solutions for Latvian security. Support for the security of the external border and the modernization of the visa system is particularly important for Latvia, both for the European Union and for the border country of the Schengen area.
Within the framework of BMVI, border surveillance is intended to establish a system of sensors, video surveillance cameras, data transmission networks and computer programs that will ensure the identification of continuous events and online border controls of authorities responsible for addressing national threats. Particular emphasis is devoted to the strengthening of the Latvia-Belorussia border in the framework of the 2021-2027 planning period.
Strengthening and modernizing the security of Latvia's external border and the common visa policy will reduce risks to illegal activities on Latvia's external border.
The technological surveillance tools currently used on the external borders of Latvia, NATO, the European Union and the European Economic Area are not sufficient to ensure effective crisis response capabilities. It is essential that all Member States of the European Union apply modern technological means to surveillance of the external border.
In the planning period 2021-2027 of the BMVI , EUR 166 716 665.66 available to Latvia consists of European Union co-financing in the amount of EUR 126 917 882.00 and national co-financing in the amount of EUR 39 798 783.66.
The approved national programme of the BMVI submitted by the Ministry of the Interior for the period 2021-2027 please see here.
General information of the BMVI 2021-2027 planning period please see below in the video.