Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Attempts to illegally enter Bulgaria have increased by 40%

Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev
Photo: BGNES

The migrant pressure on Bulgaria since the beginning of the year has increased by 40% compared to the same period last year, Caretaker Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev announced to BNR. 

He added that 2022 was a record year – with three times the pressure of previous years. On this occasion, the implementation of a joint project with the European Commission will begin in a few weeks. 

"It is about the technical securing of 110 km, which have not been secured in any way within 10 years of pressure. It refers to the return of the Border Police staff, which were reduced by 2,000 people during these 10 years, while the migrant pressure has been increasing", explained the minister. 

Ivan Demerdzhiev again called for legislative changes so that the migrant smugglers could receive heavier sentences, which, he said, now last 5 months at best. 

He also said that the first signals of attempts to buy votes for the upcoming parliamentary elections on April 2 have already been received.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

New Russian emigration in Bulgaria pays tribute to Alexei Navalny

The one-year anniversary of the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was marked with a memorial service in Sofia's St Nedelya Cathedral. It was organised by the movement "For a Free Russia" - an association of Russian immigrants in..

published on 2/16/25 5:39 PM

Scientists bring back live fish from Antarctica 

Kristiyan Vladov and Stefan Kyurkchiev of the Plovdiv Museum of Natural History are working on a project to bring live fish from the southern Arctic Circle to Bulgaria . The aim is to create an Antarctic aquarium in Plovdiv, where visitors - from..

published on 2/16/25 2:04 PM
Defence minister Zapryanov (L) takes part in the 61st Munich Security Conference, which opened on Friday.

EU accepts Bulgaria's proposal on defence modernisation spending

A procedure will be introduced to exclude military expenditure from the inflation index, Bulgarian Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov announced in Munich, BTA reported. Speaking at the Security Conference, the minister said that Bulgaria had been..

published on 2/16/25 11:33 AM