Number of Illegal Immigrants Entering Bulgaria Via Greece Increases

The number of illegal immigrants entering Bulgaria through the border with Greece, continues to rise, Interior Ministry sources tell Dnevnik.bg.

The information was confirmed by the Refugee Agency.

According to its data, the number of persons, apprehended at the border with Greece was 291 since the beginning of the year. For comparison, in 2013 the number was 31.

The majority are from Syria, but there are also people from Afghanistan and Iraq.

According to unofficial statements of Interior Ministry officials, quoted by the website, the Greek authorities started letting illegal immigrants through their border with Turkey more easily and do not register or stop them in their attempts to cross the country and enter Bulgaria.

Usually the immigrants who enter through the Greek border manage to reach Sofia. Since the beginning of September more than 1200 illegal immigrants were arrested in Bulgaria's interior.

The number of migrants arrested at the western borders of Bulgaria - with Serbia and Macedonia - is more than 1600.

Since the beginning of 2014, more than 30 000 people tried to enter Bulgaria illegally. More than 5000 were apprehended.

More than 3000 police officers from the country's interior were relocated to the borders of Bulgaria with Turkey and Greece.