Bulgaria’s Interior Has Focused on Fighting Human Trafficking- Caretaker Minister

Bulgaria's caretaker Interior Minister Yordan Bakalov, photo by BGNES

The efforts of Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry have been aimed at countering human trafficking since the beginning of August, according to caretaker Interior Minister Yordan Bakalov.

Speaking Thursday in Parliament, he informed that 472 people had been arrested on suspicion of human trafficking since the beginning of 2014, with 218 of the total detained in August and September.

Bakalov, as cited by dnevnik.bg, said that 121 people had been arrested in October only, adding that the Interior Ministry and the prosecuting authority had held a meeting over the matter.

Bakalov asked MPs to help increase the number of employees of the Interior as soon as possible.

To illustrate the need for increasing the total headcount of the Interior, he noted that Bulgaria’s southern border was guarded by as many police officers as one district.

He emphasized that the concentration of a large number of police officers at the borders created problems inside the country.

Bakalov announced in Parliament that Bulgaria’s southern border from Rezovo to Svilengrad would be placed under 100% surveillance by June 30, 2015.

He made clear, however, that the illegal entry of people could only be countered by stationing border police officers or by erecting a border fence.

Bakalov said that it was up to MPs to decide on allocating funding for the construction of a border fence, stressing that the deployment of police officers at Bulgaria’s borders cost the state budget over BGN 1 100 000 – 1 200 000 per month.

Meanwhile, caretaker Justice Minister Hristo Ivanov made clear that around 3200 refugees had been accommodated at centers across the country and 408 were living outside centers, adding that the facilities had been filled to 50% of their capacity.

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