site.btaPM Borissov Outlines Three Conditions for Solving Migrant Problem

Brussels, June 24 (BTA Correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) - Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who arrived Sunday in Brussels to attend the extraordinary meeting at the European Commission on migration, proposed that three urgent actions are taken: protecting the EU external borders, returning migrants that have arrived in the EU back to their places of origin, and concluding agreements (like the one with Turkey) with Tunisia and Jordan, where those fleeing war can be accommodated and helped in migrant centres located outside the EU. These three things must be done simultaneously and immediately, the Prime Minister added.

Borissov said that, as presiding over the Council of the EU, he will demand that consensus on the topic of migration is reached between all Member States.

"I have always stated very clearly that panic is not a good adviser," Borissov said, adding that the same actions are being repeated for a few years now, when the problem of migration could be solved swiftly by all EU Member States. According to Borissov, the countries in the Western Balkans should also be protected.

Answering a question about the proposal that countries along the EU's external borders accept back the migrants, who have crossed them and reached Europe's interior, Borissov said that it would be absurd for this to happen retroactively.

As a country with an external EU border, Bulgaria has proven itself capable of dealing with the migrant wave by utilizing the capabilities of its Border Police, Army, fences along the border and the agreement with Turkey. As a country presiding over the Council of the EU, Bulgaria is attempting and has succeeded in coming up with very good proposals, which were adopted by the majority of countries, so that the necessary consensus between everyone is reached, Borissov said, commenting the plans to amend the Dublin Regulation on the provision of asylum.