Minister of Interior: No change in the security environment along the border and in Bulgaia amid developments in the Middle East

At the moment, there is no change in the security environment along the Bulgarian border and in the country's interior, caretaker Minister of Interior Atanas Ilkov said in the Parliament on December 11, during a hearing on the security situation in ths country amid developments in the Middle East and more specifically in Syria.

Minister Ilkov stressed that the Interior Ministry is closely monitoring the situation and migration processes.

"We have made arrangements to receive information from the security services about Syria, Gaza and Lebanon," he said.

He pointed out that, if necessary, additional forces and means will be deployed along the Bulgarian-Turkish border.

Atanas Ilkov also reported that more than 20 Syrian citizens, accommodated in centres in Bulgaria, have asked to return to Syria.

He said that the data feed is constantly analysed, on the basis of which actions are planned to respond to any change in the security environment. If necessary, the implementation of the action plan for a complicated migration situation will be activated. These measures include deploying additional forces along the border, establishing an operational task force within the Ministry of Interior, and receiving support from the Ministry of Defense in the form of personnel and equipment. In the case of increased migration pressure, all relevant state institutions will be engaged according to the plan of the Council of Ministers, Minister Ilkov added.

The Interior Minister reported that the Frontex forces in the country have been increased threefold.

He reminded that, starting from January 2, 2025, a contingent of 100 personnel from Austria, Hungary, and Romania will be stationed at the Turkish border, following an agreement with these countries. Greece has also expressed interest in participating in this initiative.