Illegal Migrants Detained at Bulgaria's Border with Turkey Increase 73% in 2015

The Bulgarian authorities had detained 10,406 illegal migrants at the country’s border with Turkey in 2015, an increase of 73% over the previous year, private broadcaster bTV reported on Wednesday.

The number of Illegal migrants detained at Bulgaria’s border with Greece increased by 43%, reaching 467 last year, bTV said, citing Border Police data.

More than half of the migrants who illegally crossed from Turkey into Bulgaria and were detained by the Bulgarian authorities last year, arrived from Syria (5,331), followed by citizens of Iraq (2,481), Afghanistan (2,132), Pakistan (216), and Iran (63).

The number of foreign nationals detained while trying to illegally leave Bulgaria last year nearly quadrupled compared with 2014, reaching 11,805, bTV said.

Most of them (11,012), were apprehended at Bulgaria’s border with Serbia, which was a six-fold increase over 2014.

A total of 4,751 foreign nationals who illegally crossed into Bulgaria last year, sought protection in the country under the Asylum Law, according to Border Police data. Again, most of them were Syrian nationals (2,526), followed by citizens of Iraq (1,397), Afghanistan (751), and Pakistan (63).

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