site.bta 29 Migrants Relocated to Bulgaria under EU Relocation Key

29 Migrants Relocated to Bulgaria under  EU Relocation Key

Brussels, December 8 (BTA) - The European Commission reported Thursday that 29 migrants have been relocated to Bulgaria under the EU relocation key. Bulgaria has accepted these migrants from Greece and promised to take in a total of 831.

Of the migrants who are now in Greece, 260 have applied for resettlement in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria has agreed to accept 471 migrants from Italy. Of the migrants who are now in Italy, 140 have asked to be sent to Bulgaria.

To this moment, none of these resettlements have taken place, the EU figures show.

No Syrian protection-seeker have come to Bulgaria from Turkey under the EU-Turkey agreement for exchanging Syrian refugees from Turkey for migrants from other countries who do not qualify for protection in Europe. Bulgaria has made a pledge to accept 50 refugees under this arrangement.

The European Commission report says that it has provided 160 million euro to Bulgaria for border security. Of these, 101 million have been extended and the rest due to be provided in the future.

According to the European Commission figures, an average of four migrants cross into Bulgaria from Turkey illegally every day.

Sofia and Ankara have an agreement whereby Bulgaria sends back migrants who cross the border illegally. So far, it has asked to send back to Turkey 543 people but Turkey has only accepted 19.

BTA's correspondent Nickolay Jeliazkov contributed to this story from Brussels.