site.btaIllegal Border Crossing Attempts in Bulgaria Down 70% in First Nine Months of 2025, Says Interior Minister

Attempts at illegal entry into Bulgaria have decreased by 70% in the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, Interior Minister Daniel Mitov said during the conference "The United Kingdom and the EU Changing Together: A Safer, More Secure and More Prosperous Europe".

The event was organized by the British Embassy in Sofia together with the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) office in Sofia, in partnership with the Embassy of Denmark in Bulgaria and the European Commission Representation.

Mitov noted that in August 2023 alone, there were more attempts to cross the border illegally than in the entire period from January to September 2025. He added that migrant pressure traditionally peaks in September and October, but traffickers are now aware of the high risks of crossing through Bulgaria.

Since the start of the migration pressure in 2013, Bulgaria has implemented measures that were "not very popular at the time", including the construction of a border fence with Turkiye, which Mitov described as the right decision in hindsight. "We have established effective control over one of the busiest borders in the world, second only to the US-Mexico border," he told BTA.

The conference panel featuring Minister Mitov also included UK Ambassador to Bulgaria Nathaniel Copsey and Prof. Hristo Hristev, expert in European law at Sofia University.