site.btaParliament Bars Council of Ministers from Signing Bilateral Agreements on Migrants' Return to Bulgaria

Sofia, July 20 (BTA) - The National Assembly on Friday barred the Council of Ministers from signing bilateral agreements on the return of migrants to Bulgaria. The resolution was proposed jointly by all parliamentary groups and approved by a unanimous vote of 177 in favour.

The MPs also required the government to submit to the National Assembly a position on a common EU decision on migration. The Council of Ministers has until September 30 to present to the legislature a Bulgarian proposal for reforming the Dublin asylum system, specifically EU Regulation No. 604/2013.

Friday's parliamentary debate on migration had been proposed by the BSP For Bulgaria parliamentary group. The BSP had also moved a resolution which was very similar to the one eventually approved by the Assembly. An alternative resolution was tabled by GERB.

After statements by the two groups' floor leaders, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who was in the chamber, suggested that the Assembly could work out a common position, and so the MPs took an hour's break. After that, the joint resolution was presented by the BSP's Kornelia Ninova and approved unanimously. Ninova thanked for the prudence shown by the MPs and their support for the BSP's version of the resolution.