site.btaInterior Minister: Decrease in Migratory Pressure Continues

The steady decrease in migratory pressure on Bulgaria continues. Since the beginning of this year, about 12,000 nationals from third countries have illegally tried to cross the Bulgarian-Turkish border. For the like period of 2023, their number was 42,000, said caretaker Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov, ahead of the unveiling of a safe zone for unaccompanied children at the refugee centre in Harmanli. 
 
According to him, there far fewer migrants are detained in the interior of the country. "The situation is extremely calm. The centers, under the Ministry of Interior, are full at no more than 25% of their capacity," Stoyanov added. 
 
The Interior Minister explained that it is difficult to establish whether a person is of age. He cited an incident last year, in which two policemen died in Burgas while trying to stop a bus with illegal migrants. 
 
In response to a question about how to establish whether a person is an adult or not at the time when he has already crossed the border of Bulgaria, the caretaker minister said: "This happens thanks to the good interaction with all partner services from which the most information comes. There are methods that we follow and a protocol that leads to the final result, namely to prove that the person was a minor."