site.btaAttempts at Illegal Crossing of Bulgarian-Turkish Border Since Start of 2024 Are Down Threefold Y/Y

Migrant pressure since the beginning of 2024 is a third of what it was this time last year, outgoing Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov said during Question Time in Parliament on Friday. Between January 1 and March 29, 2024, a total of 5,777 people have illegally tried to cross the Bulgarian-Turkish border, against 18,474 in the like period of 2023, which is a threefold decrease, the Minister said.

He added that for the last 24 hours, 40 people tried to cross the Bulgarian-Turkish border illegally - against 482 on the same day in 2023.

According to Interior Ministry figures, a total of 725 third-country nationals were detained in Bulgaria for being illegally here in January-February 2024, which compared to 1,278 in the same period of 2023, or a 43.3% decrease.