site.btaBulgaria Should Demonstrate to European Partners That Migrant Flow Is Less Than 2%, Kiril Petkov Says

Continue the Change Co-leader Kiril Petkov, who also chairs the parliamentary Committee on the European Union Affairs, the Schengen area and the Еuro area, said that Bulgaria's role will be to demonstrate to its European partners that indeed the migrant flow through the country to Central Europe is below 2%. Petkov participated in a report-analysis on last year's activities of the General Directorate Border Police here on Monday.

According to Petkov, the migrant flow is currently passing through the Western Balkans, through Italy and through Spain. The route through Bulgaria is one of the least preferred by migrants, he claimed.

Petkov described Border Police data as very clear and objective. "This is exactly the data we should send to our European partners," he said, pointing out that this data should convince the European partners that Bulgaria's full Schengen membership should be completed in 2024.

"For us, this is very important and when the numbers speak, all other political messages can go to the back burner", Petkov said. In his words, Parliament should continue working intensively to show that acts that are already adopted are meaningful.

Petkov thanked all those who work on the border and take personal risks daily. "The fact that we are in the Schengen area [by air] is because of your work," he added.