Interior Minister: Attempts to Enter Bulgaria Illegally have Increased by 30% this year

"The migrant pressure we are under is unprecedented. The growth of attempts to cross the Bulgarian border since the beginning of this year is 30 percent." This was stated by the Acting Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Demerdzhiev in a comment on the migrant pressure. Demerdzhiev is in Stara Zagora to attend the annual report of the Regional Directorate of Internal Affairs.

"I appeal to the next National Assembly to take measures and revise these three texts in the Penal Code, so that these people are deterred. Such a prevention would help tremendously," urged the minister.

He pointed out that despite the greater number of attempts to enter the country illegally, a very small proportion of migrants succeed.

"And because we hunt them down and capture them, it becomes public knowledge and creates the impression that there are more migrants," added Demerdzhiev.

"Our efforts are highly appreciated by Brussels, as we are reducing the number of people we let pass through our territory. In Italy, where the resources are more, traffic is increasing, but here it is decreasing," commented the interior minister.

He indicated that he is confident that the Ministry of Internal Affairs will receive more vehicles, as well as that 1,260 new staff members will be available for border guarding. According to him, the police will receive funding for technical means both on land and in the air. Demerdzhiev specified that the negotiations for the technical securing of 110 kilometers from the border are ongoing. According to him, over 141 million euros have already been allocated under various programs.

Minister Demerdzhiev also commented on the case from this morning, in which a pregnant woman and a...