Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Humanitarian crisis in Turkey and Syria will intensify migrant pressure towards EU

Photo: BGNES

Due to the geopolitical situation, the economic and humanitarian crisis, the earthquake in Turkey and Syria and the problems in the Middle East, a new large wave of migrants to Bulgaria is expected

The Bulgarian border is guarded under extremely difficult conditions, Chief Commissioner Rositsa Dimitrova, Director of the Main Directorate "Border Police", told the Bulgarian National Television. The officers of the "Border Police" do not have all-terrain, off-road vehicles, she added. 

On the other hand, the fence along the Bulgarian-Turkish border does not serve as an obstacle to migrants, there is no equipment, and there is no video surveillance in the busiest section in the Strandzha mountain with a length of 110 km. However, border guards on the Bulgarian-Turkish border have prevented the illegal crossing of more than 164,000 people, Dimitrova explained. 

According to the director of the "Border Police", last year there were over 2,800 pre-trial proceedings for migrant smuggling and illegal migration, 2,100 of which resulted in a verdict. Of them, only 159 people are effectively imprisoned, the rest received fines or suspended sentences. That is why Dimitrova called for increased penalties to deter perpetrators. 

Among the migrant smugglers in addition to Bulgarian and Turkish citizens, there are also Syrian, Serbian, Ukrainian, Moldovan, Romanian, and Russian citizens.


At a briefing for journalists, President Rumen Radev congratulated the leadership and all employees of the Ministry of the Interior, that despite the current situation, the problematic fence on the border, the lack of means of transport and sufficient personnel, the security has been improved, and illegal migrants on the country's roads are already being hunted down and apprehended.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Investigation of death of an English patient after attack by security guards

The prosecutor’s office in Plovdiv is investigating the death of an English patient, who died at the University Hospital St. George a few days ago after being attacked by security guards . The hospital is conducting an internal inspection of the..

published on 6/22/24 5:03 PM

Bulgaria is a sought-after exporter of fish and fish products

Through the years, Bulgaria has turned into a sought-after exporter of fish and fish products, as well as delicatessen caviar products. This was made clear during the visit by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Deyan Stratev to a fish..

published on 6/22/24 3:13 PM

Hotel operators say staff shortages are the biggest challenge

No rise in prices in the hotel industry is to be expected until the end of the year, and wherever a price rise is planned, it will not exceed 10%. However, hotel operators say they are not expecting any improvement in the business environment. This..

published on 6/22/24 12:59 PM