24.02.2020
Migration is a priority topic for Bulgaria, given our geographical location and we are currently successfully managing the migration pressure. This is what Prime Minister Boyko Borissov stated during his meeting in the Council of Ministers with the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson. The Prime Minister noted that there is a decrease in the pressure compared to the same period in 2019. According to Borissov, this is due both to measures implemented at national level and to good cooperation with neighboring third countries, especially Turkey.
In the course of the talks, Prime Minister Borissov noted that he appreciated Commissioner Johansson's approach to visit the Member States and to get acquainted with their attitudes towards the new Pact on Migration and Asylum. On this topic, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of balancing responsibility and solidarity and taking into account the specificities of individual countries.
"Bulgaria has a great responsibility, maintaining a high level of security at the EU's external border. We support enhanced border control and the registration of anyone crossing the border. Bulgaria is successfully managing this commitment, "Borissov said. The Prime Minister added that if asylum procedures and checks were carried out only by the state of first entry, this would place too much responsibility on front line states without reciprocal solidarity.
"The stronger the EU's external borders are, the less vulnerable they are to abuse. Each country must guarantee its national security in a way that guarantees the security of the entire EU. The opposite is also true - the EU must guarantee its security in a way that guarantees the security of the front-line Member States as well,” the Prime Minister said. Borissov expressed his confidence that the future mechanism would be fairer if an individual approach was taken in line with the type of border, routes, vulnerabilities and response options. According to the Bulgarian Prime Minister, it is also good to consider how cooperation between one Member State and a third country can be used in the interest of the EU as a whole so to increase return opportunities.
With regards to the Mechanism for Cooperation and Verification, Borissov noted that once the set indicators and recommendations have been implemented, the mechanism should be discontinued for Bulgaria. "At the same time, we continue to work to further improve the effectiveness of criminal policy and the results in the fight against crime and corruption," Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said, adding that this was a constant priority of the government.
The Prime Minister also raised the topic of the coronavirus. "With the events in Italy, the situation is developing dramatically and we may need a pan-European decision on how to act," Borissov noted during his meeting with Commissioner Johansson. The Minister of Interior Mladen Marinov was also present at the talks taking place in the Council of Ministers.
