Border Police

Acting Interior Minister Atanas Ilkov stated today in Luxembourg that Bulgaria has received substantial support for full Schengen membership during a meeting of the EU Council.

Acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev announced that the entire barrier along the Bulgarian-Turkish border is fully operational during the regular meeting of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has dismissed a recent critical report by the Institute for Market Economy (IME) that highlighted inefficiencies within the department, particularly noting an excess of employees but a shortage of police officers "on the ground" in regions like Northwest Bulgaria.

Migratory pressure along the Bulgarian-Turkish border has dropped by 70% compared to the previous year, according to Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, Director of the Main Directorate "Border Police." This announcement followed a meeting with Hans Leitens, the Executive Director of Frontex, who is visiting Bulgaria for the second time in recent months.

The Main Directorate "Border Police" has announced a recruitment drive for 400 new employees. This is part of a larger effort to fill an additional 1,264 positions within the police force that have recently been approved.

On August 19, a major police operation aimed at dismantling an international migrant trafficking ring operating along the so-called "Western Balkan route" was conducted in the Plovdiv region of Bulgaria, BNT reports. This route spans from Turkey through Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania, ultimately reaching Western Europe.

There is heavy traffic at some of Bulgaria's border control checkpoints with Romania and Serbia, Border Police said on their website Friday. The information is valid as at 6 am.

At the border with Romania, there is heavy traffic for trucks  exiting Bulgaria through the Kardam, Oryahovo, Durankulak, and Nikopol checkpoints.

Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, director of the Main Directorate "Border Police", asserted Bulgaria's readiness to fully integrate into the Schengen area, citing Austria's veto as the sole obstacle preventing this transition. Zlatanov criticized Austria's veto, deeming it unjust during an interview on BNT.

In a recent announcement by the European Commission, significant progress has been reported in the joint efforts to safeguard the external borders of Bulgaria and Romania. The EU's support has yielded promising outcomes, particularly in the areas of migrant returns, asylum procedures, and countering smuggling activities.

170 kilograms of cocaine were found concealed within a shipment of bananas at the Burgas city's port. The illicit cargo, valued at approximately $6.8 million, marks one of the largest drug seizures in the history of the Burgas Port Complex, BTA reported. No arrests have been made thus far, leaving authorities to grapple with the intricacies of an ongoing investigation.