On March 18, the Turkish government announced that it would be closing its borders with EU countries Greece and Bulgaria. The reason: The Covid-19 pandemic. The announcement came a day after talks between some EU leaders and the Turkish president, where more help was promised for Turkey to support migrants and refugees.
Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has said his country is hoping for €130 million from the EU in order to help strengthen its borders with Turkey. So far, Bulgaria has experienced no pressure at its borders; since 2015 they have been protected by barbed wire fences and frequent patrols.
Over 200 suspected traffickers and migrant smugglers have been arrested in an Interpol-led operation. Victims of the rings came from 14 different countries.
European leaders have already agreed to a massive boost for the border protection agency, Frontex. The incoming head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wants to bring forward the expansion.
New reports place the EU border agency Frontex at scenes of brutality against migrants. The border guards of Greece, Bulgaria and Hungary have been found to be especially brutal.
The Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment has said that it is necessary to improve the situation of healthcare assistance for foreigners in detainment.
After police raids in the Bulgarian capital Sofia and in the eastern region of the country, 17 suspected people smugglers were arrested and taken into custody by the authorities. The Deputy Prosecutor General, who has already broken up other similar rings, is investigating the group and their reach further.
In the lead up to the European Parliament Elections, the German politician Manfred Weber has promised Bulgarians tight measures against illegal migration. Bulgaria was a critical part of the Balkan route at the height of the migrant crisis.
UNICEF said that in the first three months of 2019, 3,800 children arrived in Europe by sea and that one in every four migrant arrivals was a minor. In 2018, the figure was one in every five arrivals.
Although Pope Francis wants the Balkan nation to open its hearts and homes to migrants, there is considerable opposition to refugees in Bulgaria. Ties with the Catholic Church are also not warm.
It has become increasingly difficult for refugees to make their way from Greece to Central Europe. Even in the face of police violence and the risk of arrest, thousands still embark on the dangerous journey.
Bulgaria's interior minister has announced that security has been tightened along the southern border of the country. Meanwhile, the Bosnian government says that if European borders remain 'hermetically closed' to migrants, Bosnia will also close its eastern and southern borders.