The World Refugee Day saw the respective attention on Saturday in Bulgaria – with round tables, meetings, messages on funds granted and the comforting assuring of the authorities that those were working on the problem with the strengthening migration wave; that the situation was difficult, but we would cope with it, showing solidarity to Greece and Italy.

Vice President Margarita Popova was the patron of a conference, subjected Partnership for Integration of Refugees in Bulgaria. She pointed out that “those, sheltered in Europe should have their opportunity for a dignified life, as well as the motivation to comply with their rights and obligations alongside all other EU citizens”. On Friday Mr. Nikola Kazakov, chair of the State Agency for Refugees was thrilled to announce that the European institutions would grant to Sofia no less than EUR 4 mln. for coping with the immigration issue.

At the Luxemburg-held summit of the interior ministers Bulgarian Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova pronounced that well-expected “yes”. She declared that Sofia would accept the quota system, as proclaimed by Brussels, which meant that Bulgaria would receive 572 refugees – 343 from Italy and 229 from Greece. “Our assessment is that we should show solidarity and we have always voiced that stance to our partners – we might need the same attitude tomorrow,” Bachvarova said.

Some politicians said that Bulgaria should ask for solidarity not tomorrow, but today, being an EU external land border, which had received 6,000 refugees over the first 5 months of 2015 only, mainly Syrians, coming from Turkey and the accommodation capacity was almost full.

Still, the Sofia stance, presented in Luxembourg read: “Bulgaria insists on a fact to be paid attention to - the EC proposal also reads that their geographic situation and the ongoing conflicts in the region make Italy and Greece more vulnerable than the other member-states.” So what? France has closed its border with Italy for the refugees, Hungary builds up fences along its border with Serbia, there are large-scale protests against the quota receiving of refugees in a series of European capitals. It’s all been welcomed by the far-right nationalist formations across Europe. The issue has been raised on the lack of a detailed plan for the fight against smuggling, now turned into a serious business for crime organizations, worth millions of euros or dollars. Why isn’t there a concrete plan for cooperation with the authorities in the countries, generating migration with the purpose of ceasing that phenomenon?

I wouldn’t want to pay attention to the claims of some observers, saying that the migration wave from Syria via Turkey towards the Bulgarian border most likely consists of hidden mercenaries of ISIS, who have the task to penetrate the European societies, acting at a certain point after a certain signal. May this all be the rumbling of far-rightist elements!

One way or another, the Bulgarian authorities should expect a “hot” summer. No one can foresee the number of the coming immigrants, added to the burden of the Greek and Italian quota. The tension among society will go up proportionally to the number of criminal activities of the migrants. Finally, we all know that most of them want to reach the rich western societies, so the authorities will also have to cope with the return of refugees from Germany and France, for instance.

So, where is that solidarity?

English version: Zhivko Stanchev