site.bta Deputy PM Buchvarova: Still No Official Answer from Turkey about Refusal to Readmit Refugees

Deputy PM Buchvarova: Still No Official Answer from Turkey about Refusal to Readmit Refugees

Sofia, June 22 (BTA) - There is still no official answer from the Turkish side about their refusal to take back refugees under the readmission agreement, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Roumyana Buchvarova told journalists here on Wednesday. She said that no notification has been received about the readmission agreement being suspended. According to her, this is not related to bilateral relations, but to the agreement with the EU. Answering a question, she said that until now only a few Turkish citizens have been readmitted, while the documents submitted for 200 refugees have not been approved.

A fence will be built along the whole southern border, Buchvarova told a question about the additional funds Cabinet approved for the construction of the fence. "I believe that we will manage to build almost the whole stretch with the sum provided," she said, adding that more funds may be needed after the final design, but they will be much less. The fence is effective where it exists, but it currently redirects migrants to other non-fenced areas, she explained. The whole fence is around 270 km long and five to ten million leva will be needed for its completion.