site.btaOver 2,000 Vehicles Checked at Bulgarian-Turkish Border in Joint Border Police Operation

In the first month of Operation Solidarity at the Bulgarian-Turkish border, during which Bulgarian border police officers patrol alongside their colleagues from Austria, Hungary, and Romania, a total of 498 joint patrols have been carried out. Authorities have checked 2,015 vehicles and 2,560 individuals, the Interior Ministry’s Border Police General Directorate said on its website on Wednesday.

Border Police also reported that on Tuesday, the second quadripartite meeting of the border police heads of Austria, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary took place. The goal was to continue discussions that began in December 2024 on implementing joint measures to counter cross-border crime and illegal migration within the Schengen Area.

According to Border Police, all four countries gave an entirely positive assessment of the international contingent’s first month of operations at the Bulgarian-Turkish border.

In 2024, Bulgarian border police officers prevented over 52,500 attempts by migrants to enter the country illegally. Thanks to the measures taken, including increased patrols and enhanced border surveillance, migration pressure has decreased by 70%, year-on-year, Border Police Director Anton Zlatanov said during the meeting.

Zlatanov added that a total of 2,543 people have been detained by Bulgarian border authorities for entering the country illegally. Most of those apprehended at the border were Syrian and Afghan nationals, though there is a growing trend of illegal migrants from Egypt and Morocco.

The joint international contingent’s work at the Bulgarian-Turkish border began in early February.