Counteraction to migratory pressure is the one of the priorities of our work – this is what the Minister of Interior said during her visit to the area of responsibility of the Regional Border Police Directorate /RBPD/ in Elhovo
I witnessed a very good organization of the working process and this makes me feel confident that they work well, declared the Deputy Prime Minister on the coalition policy and the state administration and Minister of Interior Rumiana Bachvarova, who visited today the area of responsibility of the Regional Border Police Directorate in Elhovo. She got familiar on the spot with the work of officers from the Chief Border Police Directorate and the Migration Directorate. She informed that the migration pressure is going up, the current numbers being comparable with the ones in last September. “This is exactly why I am visiting this area – the counteraction of migratory pressure and the efficiency of the Border Police will be an important priority in our work”, declared Bachvarova. Deputy-Ministers of Interior Krasimir Tsipov and Philip Gounev also joined the Minister in Elhovo, as well as the Director of the Chief Border Police Directorate Mr. Milen Penev.
As regards the continued construction of the engineering facility, Ms. Bachvarova specified that currently it is being designed. Therefore, a coordination meeting will be held with the three regional governors – of Haskovo, Yambol and Burgas – the districts where the very construction will take place.
The agreement on the establishment of a trilateral contact center between Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece is prepared, announced Deputy Prime Minister Bachvarova. She specified that yesterday she had a conversation regarding this issue with the Turkish interior minister and hoped that the document would be signed in the nearest future. Rumiana Bachvarova informed that there is an ongoing competition for selection and appointment of 100 border police officers who will work at the green border. They are expected to step in in November, following the final procedures on their inauguration and the compulsory training on the European standards.
The Border Police Director Mr. Milen Penev added that the reports on the protection of the border have been optimized and additional efficiency will be obtained with the final completion of the integral system for external border surveillance, financed under a project within the External Borders Fund. In its final stage the system will ensure also connections among the helicopters for on-line transmission of picture, including to the Coordination Center in Sofia.
Deputy Prime Minister Bachvarova commented also on the topic of the funds due to hotel keepers and citizens who provide places for accommodation of the commissioned officers. She announced that a day ago the first payment out of the overall due amount of BGN 224 000 due was made, which concluded the payments for 2014. The redemption will continue by installments. The topic will be also discussed at a deliberate meeting with the hotel keepers.
Four people have been detained as regards the case of the injured border police officer, informed Mr. Milen Penev. The 8 Syrian nationals, who have been illegally transferred, were also detained. Police investigators from the local police station in Svilengrad continue their work on the case. Pre-trial proceedings have been initiated under the supervision of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Haskovo and charges will be brought.
During her visit to Elhovo Deputy Prime Minister Bachvarova became familiar with the work of the Regional Coordination Center and visited the Distribution Center. Ms. Bachvarova met the border police patrols ensuring the border protection in the area. She became acquainted with the capabilities of the stationary posts for technical surveillance, as well as with the protective engineering facility. The Deputy Prime Minister also visited the Lesovo BCP and had discussions with the joint border patrols, which involved Dutch representatives of FRONTEX as well.
