New scandal in Parliament over returned migrants from Germany

GERB leader, Boyko Borissov, on March 1 announced that the coalition agreement prepared by GERB was ready. Meanwhile, there was a scandal in the plenary chamber after the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) released information about migrants returned to Bulgaria from Germany by plane and that some of whom have previous convictions for serious crimes. How did the cabinet respond?

The intrigue in today's question time in Parliament is linked to a serious debate in the chamber, because the BSP brought out a document according to which 23 people had arrived in Bulgaria from Munich, including six criminals with sentences for serious crimes, including for murder, bodily harm and sexual offences. The socialists demanded to know what had happened and how many such criminals had been returned to Bulgaria. The BSP also commented that Bulgaria may become a ghetto for criminals.

"On February 8, 2024, a small charter flight arranged by the Bavarian state asylum and repatriation service and accompanied by the federal police took off from Munich airport for Sofia with 23 people who had to leave the country. Among those repatriated were six people who had been convicted under the law for, among other things, murder, manslaughter, grievous bodily harm, sexual offences, aggravated robbery and money laundering," BSP leader Kornelia Ninova said.

Deputy Prime Minister, Mariya Gabriel, stressed that not everything related to criminal liability, police cooperation and assistance between judicial authorities is within the competence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She said that the information brought forward was within the competence of the Ministry of the Interior.

"Thank you for the information you share with us and I remind you that everything related to criminal liability, police cooperation and cooperation between judicial authorities is not within the competence of the Foreign Ministry. I am not in favour of artificially creating fears. And I say very clearly that no figures were discussed during the negotiations, especially those that artificially create fears by appearing in the public domain. What we have clearly stated in the negotiations is that we will respect our obligations under the Dublin agreement", Mariya Gabriel said.

"What Kornelia Ninova delivered is terrible and we warned and you together with the one next to you lied that this will not happen and you slide like soap around a bathroom and hide behind the Dublin agreements when no country respected them and Bulgaria took a stupid unilateral decision to implement everything on this. Other countries do not accept them, you should not find excuses with the Ministry of Interior when these 23 are not Bulgarian citizens", said Toshko Yordanov, chairman of the “There is Such a People” PG.

"Where are the illegal migrants who have arrived so far accommodated - in prisons or in refugee centres and how much is the remaining number, which you have committed to be fulfilled?" asked Tsveta Rangelova from "Vazrazhdane".

"I can't quote you exact numbers during question time in Parlaiment, you know that, you're a lawyer. What I can say, the information from yesterday is that the centres are 54% full, to remind you that a month and a bit ago they were at 72%. I would like to say that there is no danger whatsoever that these threats, these fireworks that have been let off in recent weeks, that the centres are going to fill up. Secondly, I will send information to the National Assembly regarding whether there are convicted persons among those migrants that have been returned," said Prime Minister, Nikolai Denkov.

"If someone has not done his job and such people have come to Bulgaria and are now in some centre and it is not known where, the one who has not done his job should take responsibility. Right now I will ask for reports to tell me who is to blame and whether it is so," said Boyko Borissov, chairman of GERB.

The scandal was quelled after Minister of Interior, Kalin Stoyanov, explained that there was such a flight. The criminals returned from Germany are Bulgarians who have served their sentences.

"On 8 February 2024, 18 citizens of Syria and 6 citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria, a total of 24 persons, arrived at the Sofia airport border crossing point at 12.40 p.m. on a flight from Munich in accordance with the agreement. The six Bulgarian citizens have served prison sentences in the Federal Republic of Germany and were deported to Bulgaria after serving their sentences," the Minister of the Interior stressed.