site.btaBulgaria Expects Additional Assistance to Tackle Migration Pressure

Bulgaria Expects
Additional Assistance
to Tackle Migration Pressure


Brussels, December 5 (BTA correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) -
Addressing a EU Justice and Home Affairs Council on Friday,
Interior Minister Vesselin Vouchkov said that Bulgaria expects
greater solidarity and fairness to deal with migration pressure
on the EU's southern borders.

Speaking to Bulgarian media in Brussels, Vouchkov said that
Cyprus and Greece rallied behind the same idea. Between
September and December, migration pressure on Bulgaria's border
increased by two thirds compared with the like period of 2013.
The Minister urged the EU for greater solidarity to help
Bulgaria deal with the refugee wave.

Vouchkov said that after a 30-km razor wire fence was put up
along the border with Turkey, more migrants began to enter the
country through border crossings instead of the green border.

Vouchkov said that Bulgaria hadn't raised the issue of extending
the fence at the Council as this was an internal matter. The
Minister assured that a possible extension of the fence won't be
a sign of hostility towards Turkey or unwillingness to accept
people who flee from wars. Its only aim will be to redirect the
refugee wave through border crossings and curb human
trafficking.

Vouchkov said that in all of his meetings he had received
confirmation that Bulgaria meets all technical Schengen criteria
and that its accession is a matter of political decision.
Replying to a question, the Minister said he did not have
information about Bulgarian nationals fighting in Syria or
Ukraine. PK/PP

//