site.btaParliamentary Legal Affairs Committee Adopts Amendments Increasing Border Police Capacity

The Legal Affairs Committee in Parliament adopted at second reading amendments to the Administration Act in relation to increasing the capacity of Border Police. The amendment will allow to increase the staff of the Border Police by 1,264 officers for the protection of refugee centres and the strengthening of border security.

During Wednesday's debate, MPs reiterated their agreement in principle that it is necessary to support the Ministry of Interior in relation to migration pressure and confirmed that the increase in staff will only apply to officers who perform police functions.

The proposal of Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) that the Council of Ministers could increase the staff of the Ministry of the Interior by up to one thousand men to be allocated to the Border Police, the Fire Safety and Population Protection, and the Gendarmerie Directorate by December 31 was not supported by the Committee.