site.btaBulgaria Starts Deploying up to 1,000 Military Personnel along its Border with Turkey

Bulgaria Starts Deploying up to 1,000 Military Personnel along its Border with Turkey

Sofia, September 17 (BTA) - Bulgaria will deploy up to 1,000 military personnel along its border with Turkey in the following few days in an operation which has already started in order to address the complicated migratory situation, Bulgarian Interior Ministry Chief Secretary Georgi Kostov told journalists on Thursday.

Kostov said the move should not be interpreted as a sign of mistrust towards the Turkish border authorities, but rather as an act of assistance to their big efforts.

Bulgaria will protect its border with its southern neighbour using joint patrol units of military personnel, border police and national police officers, Kostov said. "The migratory pressure has always been strong, and the Interior Ministry will use all its legal powers to cope with the challenge," he said.

Thirty-four people have been arrested along the Bulgarian-Turkish border over the last 24 hours while attempting to enter Bulgaria illegally, while an estimated 660 people have been deterred from crossing over as they have noticed that the border is well protected, Kostov said. Meanwhile, 39 people were arrested at the Bulgarian-Serbian frontier in the last 24 hours before they could leave Bulgaria illegally.

People implicated in human trafficking in Bulgaria so far this year have increased by 70 per cent compared with the whole of last year, he said.