160,000 attempts to illegally cross the Bulgarian border have been prevented since the beginning of the year

Since the beginning of the year, Bulgaria has prevented about 160,000 attempts to enter the country illegally. In the same period last year, there were 100,000 attempts to illegally cross the Bulgarian border, said Minister of Interior, Kalin Stoyanov, who is attending the EU Council of Interior Ministers in Brussels on September 28.

266 people detained in police operation against illegal migration

The main topic of the talks was tackling illegal migration and protecting the Union's external borders. The minister commented that illegal migrants and the people who provide their transport are becoming more and more daring and that is why we are witnessing chases every day.

So far, 170 Frontex officers have been deployed along the Bulgarian border, and the number is expected to increase. Bulgaria is also hoping for additional financial assistance from Brussels.

Kalin Stoyanov has discussed the issue of Bulgaria's accession to Schengen with his counterparts from Romania, Austria and Spain. According to him, it is a realistic goal for Bulgaria to become part of the Schengen area by the end of the year.