Stanev said that the fee collected by smugglers for transporting a migrant is about EUR 1000

For several days, on the orders of the Minister of the Interior, Bulgarian authorities have been using unmanned aerial vehicles -- planes and drones -- to monitor the entire territory of the border, Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior, Chief Commissioner Stanimir Stanev, said for NOVA.

On the one hand, the Ministry is controlling the refugee flow, on the other hand, it is controlling its officers who are deployed along the borderline, he explained. He said there is also an increased presence of Interior Ministry officers and military personnel. Stanev said that in a 24-hour period the authorities manage to stop about 1,000 people who want to enter the country. He pointed out that 25 migrants were found illegally crossing into the country over the past 24 hours, mostly from Afghanistan and Syria. He said the number was decreasing as a result of the action taken.

Migrants are extremely mobile, they are organised, the Deputy Secretary General further commented. Stanev noted that the people leading the migrants know the situation well. According to him, those who try to cross the Bulgarian border use aluminium ladders or fallen trees to climb over the border. There is no fence that cannot be overcome, according to Stanev.

Asked about possible protection by Interior Ministry officials for the crossing migrants, the Deputy Secretary General assured the Ministry is working with all structures and services involved in the investigation of Interior Ministry personnel, and that details of the investigations would be out soon. According to him, these are people working at low and middle levels in the system, who provide information to illegal migrants. 

Stanev said that the fee collected by smugglers for transporting a migrant is about EUR 1,000.

The Deputy Secretary General added that the police officers who died in Burgas while trying to stop a bus with illegal migrants will be posthumously awarded with the highest professional award of the Interior Ministry.

Редактор: Тони Господинов