Minister of interior: Bulgaria is implementing an action plan with Austria to prevent illegal migration

A Bulgarian delegation led by caretaker Deputy Prime Minister for Public Order and Security and Minister of the Interior, Ivan Demerdzhiev, on April 18 paid a working visit to Budapest at the invitation of his Hungarian counterpart, Sándor Pinter.

During the bilateral talks, Minister Demerdzhiev stressed that Bulgaria's accession to Schengen remains a key priority and thanked for the consistent support the country receives from Hungary. He specified that a permanent dialogue has been established with Austria and the Netherlands and work is underway to change their positions. "We are implementing an action plan with Austria to prevent illegal migration with a focus on combating migrant smuggling networks. We have largely clarified the demands of the Netherlands and are ready to provide the necessary arguments to change their position."

The two Ministers of Interior discussed the migration situation, which remains dynamic at this stage. Demerdzhiev stressed that in 2022, the pressure on Bulgaria was four times higher than an year earlier, and that since the beginning of 2023 there have been nearly 42% more illegal entry attempts compared to the same period in 2022. He pointed out that the Bulgarian-Turkish border remains the most sensitive and expressed satisfaction with the recognised priority importance of this border for the security of the European Union and Schengen, adding, "We await the decision of the European Commission on the additional financial support for the technical securing of the border, following the technical needs assessment missions".

The Minister of Interior briefed his Hungarian counterpart on the pilot project launched in March with the European Commission for rapid asylum and return procedures at the Bulgarian-Turkish border, on which our country is working in close cooperation with European partners and responsible institutions. Regarding the effective counteraction of migrant smuggling, the two ministers agreed on the need for even stronger cooperation between all member states, as well as with the countries of origin and transit.

Minister Demerdzhiev said that together with Europol, Bulgaria is working on the establishment of a task force to further enhance the effective exchange of information and coordination of joint operations against smuggling networks and a rapid response to security threats in general. "Our ambition is to have all interested EU member states involved, and we are also working to involve Turkey and Serbia."

The Bulgarian Minister of Interior confirmed his strong support for Hungary's initiative to demarche to the European Commission to increase funds for border management in the context of the review of the Multiannual Financial Framework.

The meeting was also attended by the caretaker Deputy Minister of the Interior, Monika Dimitrova-Beecher; the Secretary General of the Ministry of the Interior, Chief Commissioner Petar Todorov; the Director of DG "Border Police", Chief Commissioner Rositsa Dimitrova.

Source: BGNES

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