Coming out of a meeting on Tuesday with the executive director of Frontex, Hans Leijtens, the director of the General Directorate of Border Police of the Interior Ministry, chief commissioner Anton Zlatanov, said that the migration pressure on Bulgaria has decreased by 70%. "Our aim is to maintain this norm. Frontex teams on our border with Turkey, which have tripled in number compared to 2023, will remain in place at least until the end of this year. The decision to extend this mission it is taken every three months", said Zlatanov.

He was commenting on reports in German media that a Syrian national suspected of carrying out a stabbing attack in the German town of Solingen on August 23 should have been deported to Bulgaria last year. Zlatanov said Bulgaria had received a request to deport him under the Dublin Regulation as it was the country through which he had originally entered the European Union. "Our country had consented to him at the time," he noted, adding that the Syrian could not be found by German and Austrian authorities.

He said that during the interviewing of immigrants in Bulgaria, a very careful assessment is made and if doubts arise, these people are handed over to other services. "Bulgaria does not overlook these facts", the director of the Border Police emphasized, stressing that "we are currently at the peak of the wave of migration". "Bulgaria has excellent cooperation with Frontex", added Zlatanov.

Leijtens stressed the crucial importance of cooperation at the national level and the need to join efforts. He praised the Bulgarian border police for the efforts they are making to secure the common European borders. The most important thing is to continue working together, said the executive director of Frontex and thanked Bulgaria for the cooperation./BTA-KosovaPress