site.btaBorder Police Chief Attends Frontex Management Board Meeting

Border Police Director, Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, participated in the 101st meeting of the Management Board of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency - Frontex on September 18-19 in Budapest. The meeting discussed issues related to priority areas for Frontex action in 2025, migration situation, and fundamental rights  

Zlatanov made a presentation that showed a 71% reduction in illegal migration at Bulgaria's borders in the first eight months of 2024 compared to the first eight months of 2023. At the same time, Frontex presented a 24% increase in pressure along the Eastern Mediterranean route. Together with the representative from Romania, the need for Bulgaria’s and Romania’s admission to Schengen by land was highlighted. Both sides reiterated the lack of any professional arguments for maintaining the current status quo.    

The Agency's management said that by the end of the operational year 2024 it will continue to deploy three times the number of permanent corps officers (165) along the Bulgarian-Turkish border in line with the December 2023 joint statement of Bulgaria, Austria and Romania. In January 2025, an assessment will be carried out by Bulgaria and Frontex on the need to continue the presence of such number of officers in 2025.  

Frontex Fundamental Rights Officer noted the extremely high level of cooperation between the Fundamental Rights Office and the Bulgarian Border Police. Zlatanov briefed the Board members on the issues discussed in the two meetings he held with Fundamental Rights Officer Jonas Grimheden and the Agency's Executive Director Hans Leijtens. The activity of the Bulgarian Border Police on fundamental rights issues and the reduction of risks in this area was assessed highly.