Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry: Identities of refugees carefully checked
The identities of refugees entering and leaving Bulgaria are examined very carefully, Interior Minister Roumyana Buchvarova said on September 16.
“We carry out extensive checks at the border. Because of these rigorous checks, migrants are delayed in the country. That is because we are doing a good job. The important thing is that we register everyone,” Buchvarova said.
“We are constantly monitoring the number of people, who have crossed the border, and how many illegal migrants have been detained, she said.
There are very big groups of refugees around Bulgaria’s border. There is strict control at the borders, Buchvarova said.
Her statements came the same day that Bulgarian National Radio reported that more than 200 refugees had been stopped by police at the Bulgarian-Turkish border while trying to enter Bulgaria. A further 32 people were arrested near the border after they had passed the border fence and checkpoints, the report said.
On September 16, Bulgaria’s cabinet approved additional spending by the Interior Ministry of five million leva for providing food to asylum seekers, security at shelters and ongoing maintenance at territorial divisions of the State Agency for Refugees.
Also envisaged is funding for equipment for the interdepartmental coordination centre against smuggling and for the control of high-risk goods and cargo.
An increase in the staff of the agency has been financially secured until June 14 2016 by the European Commission on the basis of an implementing agreement igned on May 29 2015 on a plan for emergency measures under the Asylum, Migration and Integration fund.
This would create a basis for carrying out activities related to international protection of migrants in response to new realities and challenges that have occurred as a result of the continuing trend of an increase in the number of applicants for protection in Bulgaria.
At the same time, the government began building a system for monitoring the Bulgarian-Turkish border, a government statement said.
