site.bta10,549 People Try to Enter Bulgaria Unlawfully between January and April, Down by 70.2% Y/Y

A total of 10,549 people tried to enter Bulgaria unlawfully between January and April 2024, which was a decrease by 70.2% compared with January-April 2023, according to information about the migration situation in Bulgaria published on the Interior Ministry website on Thursday.

In April 2024 alone, 3,836 third-country nationals made unlawful attempts to cross the border into Bulgaria, down by 69.8% compared with April 2023.

Out of the total number in January-April, 10,041 people eventually returned to the interior of countries neighbouring Bulgaria unescorted by police, 459 people were detained by the Bulgarian border authorities, and 49 were apprehended by the border authorities in neighbouring countries.

Bulgarian law enforcers arrested 1,488 third-country nationals from January to April 2024. These included 459 inbound migrants and 408 outbound unregistered individuals detained at the border, and 621 people staying unlawfully in Bulgaria's interior. The first two groups increased, respectively, 2.3-fold and by 26.3% year on year.

In April 2024 alone, the Bulgarian authorities detained 529 third-country nationals, among them 172 inbound migrants and 91 outbound unregistered individuals detained at the border, and 266 people staying unlawfully in this country's interior.

Earlier in the week, caretaker Minister of Interior Kalin Stoyanov said the migration situation in Bulgaria is relaxed, "far better than last year".