BULGARIA’S INTERIOR MINISTER: TRAFFIC OF REFUGEES TO BULGARIA DROPPED BY 36%

In an interview for the BNT morning programme “The Day Begins” on 13th of April, Bulgaria’s Minister of Interior, Rumyana Bachvarova, said that the border police carried out their duties within the possibilities available to them. Lack of massive and uncontrolled influx of foreign citizens is a proof for that, she added.

Bachvarova said tha in comparison with 2015, the reduction of the traffic of refugees to Bulgaria was about 36% and noted that this was due to the efforts of the country at the border.

She said that Bulgaria has readiness, if the traffic increased, to deploy more forces at the border, together with the army and to act in accordance with the law.

Asked whether there were gaps in border security, because of which the appearing of “civilian patrols” became a necessity, Bachvarova assured that the Border Police successfully carried out their duties according to the possibilities available.

“It is very important in such situation in which we are all concerned and that threatens our national security to trust the border police and the Ministry of Interior because this will help not only our law enforcement but the whole situation”, Bachvarova said. “Trust is what we lack more than lack of funds,” she noted.

She neither confirmed nor denied if the group of Petar Nizamov – “The Feathers”, who was arrested on 12th of April for illegal detention of migrants, was involved in illegal activities, including human trafficking. But she expressed concerns that even if this particular group was not involved, it might give rise to other people getting involved in such activities.