site.btaEuropean Council Recognizes Serious Migratory Challenge Facing Bulgaria

European Council Recognizes Serious Migratory Challenge Facing Bulgaria

Brussels, June 26 (BTA correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) - The
serious migratory challenge facing Bulgaria was recognized by EU
 leaders when they agreed a relocation plan for 60 000 migrants
after many hours of talks ending at 4 a.m. on Friday.

Although the European Commission had proposed binding quotas,
the European Council, which met in Brussels, decided that the
relocation of migrants in the EU will be made on a voluntary
basis. Even with this relaxed rule, Bulgaria was mentioned as a
country for which an exception should be made.

European Council President Donald Tusk said: "There is only one
exception - that is Hungary and to some extent Bulgaria, because
 these two countries are affected also by strong migratory flows
 and I think they will be treated by us as specific cases when
the time comes to distribute the pledges."

Summing up the Brussels talks, Tusk said that all the member
states expressed their solidarity with the objective of
relocating migrants in the EU in order to help such countries as
 Italy and Greece, which have been affected most by the migrant
wave. "The discussion focused on the methods and the principles,
 not the objective of help to be provided to Greece, Italy and
those 60 000 people," Tusk said.

Before Thursday's talks, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov
 said that just like a decision had been made to help Italy,
Greece and Spain, a similar one should be made now for Bulgaria
too.