The Evolution of Corruption and Crimes at Kapitan Andreevo Border Checkpoint: The Impact of EU Accession

Authors

  • Jacopo Costa Basel Institute on Governance, Steinenring 60, 4051, Basel (BS), Switzerland Author
  • Claudia Baez Camargo Basel Institute on Governance, Steinenring 60, 4051, Basel (BS), Switzerland Author
  • Noemi Jäger Basel Institute on Governance, Steinenring 60, 4051, Basel (BS), Switzerland Author
  • Saba Kassa Basel Institute on Governance, Steinenring 60, 4051, Basel (BS), Switzerland Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65879/3070-6122.2026.2.03

Keywords:

Bulgaria, Evolution, EU Accession, Border Corruption, Corruption Strategies

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the evolutionary mechanisms of corruption and criminal modus operandi at land border spaces against the accession to the European Union (EU) and subsequent changes in regulations and control capacity. Such changes can have a significant impact on corruption risks and criminal strategies, and this paper will attempt to understand how and why. The analysis focused on a specific case study: Bulgaria and the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint (BCP). There are many reasons to justify this choice. Firstly, it is a vital connection between Bulgaria and Turkey, and between EU and non-EU regions. Despite its importance, corruption risks are present for public officials, citizens and businesses in this area. This provides an opportunity to gain insight into the mechanisms of corruption and criminal behaviors, as well as how they evolve. Bulgaria's accession to the European Union introduced a shift in the regulatory environment and the quality of controls at this border checkpoint. This marked not only Bulgaria's inclusion in the EU's legal order, but also a transformation in how the country's border infrastructure operated.

Author Biographies

  • Claudia Baez Camargo, Basel Institute on Governance, Steinenring 60, 4051, Basel (BS), Switzerland

    Dr Claudia Baez Camargo is Director of Prevention, Research and Innovation at the Basel Institute on Governance.

    Claudia's work brings together academic research and technical assistance with the goal of promoting anti-corruption approaches that are context sensitive and address relevant drivers of corruption. Among other areas, she has conducted extensive research on how behavioural factors, such as those associated with social norms and mental models, can impact anti-corruption outcomes.

    At the Basel Institute on Governance, Claudia is responsible for the development, oversight and management of the Institute’s research activities in the areas of public and global governance. Claudia also works with a broad range of interested stakeholders on consultancy projects aimed at developing context-sensitive strategies to prevent corruption in the public sector.

    Claudia holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame, USA and a graduate degree in economics from the University of Cambridge, England. Originally from Mexico, she initiated her professional career working with the Ministry for Social Development, Federal Government of Mexico. There, Claudia was involved in developing demand-driven poverty reduction programmes aimed at ensuring access to basic public services for low-income rural communities.

    Before joining the Basel Institute in 2009, Claudia was Assistant Professor of Political Science at William Paterson University, New Jersey, where she taught courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels in comparative politics, Latin American history and research methods. To date, she continues to teach courses on corruption and development, health systems governance and has developed a special curriculum on research methods focusing on corruption studies.

  • Noemi Jäger, Basel Institute on Governance, Steinenring 60, 4051, Basel (BS), Switzerland

    Noémi Jäger supports the Prevention, Research and Innovation team at the Basel Institute on Governance. She was promoted to the position in March 2025, having joined the Basel Institute in March 2024 as Legal Research Intern.

    Prior to joining the Basel Institute, Noémi gained experience as an Academic Trainee at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, where she monitored the implementation of asset recovery agreements and provided support in the implementation of policy dialogue, strategic partnerships and events in asset recovery and anti-corruption. In her early career, she worked as a researcher for an on-campus law clinic focusing on human rights violations.

    Noémi holds an LLM in Public International Law from the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands and a Bachelor’s in International Relations with special focus on Law from the University of Geneva, Switzerland.

  • Saba Kassa, Basel Institute on Governance, Steinenring 60, 4051, Basel (BS), Switzerland

    Dr Saba Kassa is a public governance expert with over 10 years of experience in promoting democratic governance. She leads implementation of the research, technical assistance and capacity-building activities of the Basel Institute's Prevention, Research and Innovation team.

    Prior to joining the Institute, Saba worked for several international organisations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, including the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the German Ministry for International Cooperation and the International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

    Saba holds a PhD in International Development Studies from the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, a Master in International Development Studies from the University of Amsterdam, as well as a Master in Public Administration from Erasmus University Rotterdam.

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Published

2026-05-01

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Vol. 2 (2026)

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Copyright (c) 2026 Jacopo Costa, Claudia Baez Camargo, Noemi Jäger, Saba Kassa (Author)

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