site.btaPolice Prevent 158,000 Illegal Border Crossing Attempts Since January 1

Between January 1 and September 30, 2023, border police officers have prevented more than 158,000 attempts by migrants to illegally enter Bulgarian territory, the Interior Ministry reported here Tuesday. 

It is possible that some of the persons who have independently returned to the interior of the Republic of Turkiye, after having been detected by Bulgarian border patrols, have made more than one attempt to cross into Bulgarian territory. The number of prevented illegal border crossing attempts was 115,000 during the same period of last year, the Ministry said.

A total of 1,242 third-country nationals were apprehended while illegally entering Bulgaria in 2023. There continues to be persistence in terms of the nationalities of apprehended illegal migrants, the majority of whom are nationals of Middle Eastern and North African countries. Most of those apprehended for breaching the State border at the entry point are from Syria - 629, Morocco - 200, Afghanistan - 199, Iraq - 80.

Between January 1 and the end of September, a total of 1,968 third-country nationals were apprehended while attempting to cross the border illegally at the exit. 

Afghan, Syrian and Moroccan nationals make up the bulk of those caught. The Bulgarian-Serbian border remained the most congested exit point during the period, where 88% of persons attempting to cross illegally were apprehended.

There was an 108% increase in the number of illegal migrants caught in the country's interior in the months of June, July, August and September, which numbered 8,364, compared to 4,013 in the same months of last year. 

The number of pre-trial proceedings initiated against organizers of illegal migration has increased by 31%, and there are 15% more people charged with this criminal activity compared to the summer months of last year.