EU will allocate €600 million to strengthen Bulgaria's border with Turkey

The EU will allocate 600 million euros to strengthen Bulgaria’s border with Turkey, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior, Chief Commissioner Petar Todorov, told BNT morning show on March 22.

"Since yesterday we have a letter from Ursula von der Leyen informing us that the European Commission has held a meeting on a new strategic approach to protecting our common external border and Bulgaria is a priority. More than EUR 600 million will be allocated for the strengthening and technical construction of our border. There we have over 110 km not technically secured and other 200 km there, for which something needs to be done," he said.

The money will be spent for equipment, cameras, sensors and vehicles, the MoI Secretary General added.

After the record migrant pressure reported in 2022, there has been a further 43% increase in the first three months of the year.

"We are going to build a task force within Europol in order to be able to trace the entire route of the trafficking, including the leaders of the groups, and there are already results in this direction," said Petar Todorov.

People involved in trafficking come from all backgrounds and walks of life. So far, migrant smugglers of more than 18 nationalities have been apprehended in the country.

Todorov also commented on the case of the pregnant doctor detained for transporting migrants. In an interview with BNT a few days ago, she denied the Minister of Interior's claims that she had been caught with drugs in the past. Petar Todorov refuted it, saying that the data had been confirmed and a pre-trial procedure had been initiated.

More than 80 actions against vote-buying have been initiated in recent days, Todorov added. The actions are simultaneously against violation of citizens' electoral rights and domestic crime, as both types of crimes are often committed by the same contingent.

Todorov said the size of the penalties for those sentenced for vote-buying should be increased.

"Unfortunately, the vast majority of sentences that follow the raids are suspended after plea bargains, which again makes some of the people in the next election participants in this process. It is a matter of the legislature's discretion how to adjust the size of the penalties. My opinion is that it should be increased," he said.

Ministry of Interior employees are also being scrutinized for involvement in election rigging schemes.