site.btaBulgarian Intelligence Chief Sees No Signs of Intensifying Refugee Movements from Middle East to Turkiye and on to Europe

There are no indications of intensifying migrant and refugee movements from the Middle East to Turkiye and on to Europe. No new massive wave of migrants is discernible from Syria to Bulgaria, State Intelligence Agency Chair Antoan Gechev said during a hearing in the National Assembly in Sofia on Thursday.

Gechev added that since border controls between Bulgaria and Greece were lifted on January 1 as this country became a full member of the Schengen free travel zone, nothing seems to show that unregulated migration routes have changed, or that Bulgaria is under increased migratory pressure from Greece.

He does not rule out the possibility of human traffickers and illicit migrants gradually rechannelling their movements towards Bulgaria, presumably aiming for trouble-free passage to Western Europe.

"The situation in Syria remains tense," the intelligence chief said. "Efforts are being made to restore the normal functions of the country's institutions, with a sizeable portion of low- and medium-level civil servants of the old administration keeping their jobs. Criminal activity is not apparently growing in any significant way, and anarchy and instability are not observed. Essential goods are available in stores, no deficits are reported, but prices are soaring. Public security services are making arrests mainly of people affiliated with the old regime."

According to Gechev, a comprehensive agreement between Israel and Hamas is little likely over the short term, mainly because Israel is reluctant to accept the Palestinian armed group as a factor in the future governance of the Gaza Strip. "We expect the situation in Gaza to remain volatile amid further pressure on the local population, a lingering humanitarian crisis and many civilian casualties," he said.

He emphasized that calls are growing stronger in Iran to develop nuclear weapons to be used as a deterrent against possible future external aggression. This could trigger an Israeli military operation against Iran, he warned.

Gechev, along with State Agency for National Security Chair Plamen Tonchev and Defence Intelligence Service Director Venelin Venev, was given a hearing in the National Assembly about the measures taken by the Bulgarian government to maintain security in view of the developments in the Middle East, more specifically Syria, and whether reliable up-to-date information is available and measures are taken to address possible future refugee waves from Syria, the Gaza Strip, Afghanistan and other areas of instability.