Ever since the Balkan migration route’s cutting and till yesterday Sofia used to claim on different occasions that there was no increasing of the migration flow towards Bulgaria, no new route was expected through Bulgaria’s territory but that nevertheless this country was putting effort to prevent the opening of one. However, there were certain statements in March, saying that the enhancing of the migration pressure towards the EU via Bulgaria was very probable. Only ten days ago German media wrote articles, based on a Berlin secret intelligence report, claiming that there was already an organized redirecting of illegal migrants towards Bulgaria. According to the publications, traffickers tend to aim more and more often at the route from Turkey, via Bulgaria towards West Europe because of NATO’s measures taken across the Aegean Sea. Sofia continued to reject any existence of a migrant pressure and even questioned the reliability of the German services. Then unexpectedly PM Borissov himself admitted yesterday that the “enhanced migration pressure towards Bulgaria is now a fact”. Different attempts for illegal crossing of two groups, consisting of 40 and 20 people respectively were the reason for the premier’s statement. Most of those got their instant readmission to Greece, while the rest will follow them within a week. The Bulgarian side has no claims towards the Greek one and even underlines the good cooperation between both states. Still, military reinforcements were sent to the western border segment, in order to assist Border Police in case a new wave appears.

It is a fact that this case of penetrating Bulgaria’s territory is not the most substantial one to have happened. However, it caused serious alarm and an urgent gathering in the area of capture of ministers and high ranking military officials, which was quite impressive. There must be more than one reason for this all and not only the recent evacuation of the Idomeni refugee camp at the Greek-Macedonian border.

The alarm came one day before the start of the Sofia-held sitting, where Bulgaria will give up the rotational chairmanship-in-office of the South-East European Cooperation Process. Migration was one of this country’s major priorities over the six months in charge. The ministers of foreign affairs and of the interior of Bulgaria, Greece and Macedonia agreed in Thessaloniki end-April that despite the reduced migration pressure they should enhance the fight with trafficking networks. They began talking about a Plan B, in order to avoid reliance on the preventive measures of Turkey and the EU only. The EU level also began mentioning Plan B later on. At the today-starting meeting of the SEECP in Sofia there are representatives of the Balkan states, the EU and other international organizations with the migration subject being common for them.

The current Bulgarian stances on the issue prompt that at the forum it will continue to insist on the necessity of a common approach in the coping with the refugee crisis at both the regional and European levels. The frontline states should be able to rely on the support of the EU, in order to manage and defend its external borders, instead of being left on their own, looking for individual solutions.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev