Bulgarian Red Cross: 3-4 Million Refugees Expected to Reach Europe in Spring

The refugee crisis has not ended and a wave of 3-4 million people is expected to reach Europe in the spring.

This was stated by the chairperson of the Bulgarian Red Cross Hristo Grigorov in an interview for Focus news agency on the occasion of a round table entitled "Integration of refugees in Bulgaria: reality and challenges".

In his words, Bulgaria will be faced with an extraordinary refugee wave in the spring if the EU fails to adopt the rules regulating the access of migrants to the Union.

Grigorov noted that there were countries with large financial resources and adequate social security programmes capable of  dealing with the refugees, but Bulgaria was not one of them.

He added that as a member of the common European family, Bulgaria has to swiftly devise an effective policy towards these people.

In his opinion, only people fleeing war, who have passed through checkpoints and registered and have fulfilled the EU requirements for being granted status should be allowed into Europe.

Grigorov noted that large number of the people passing through Bulgaria use it as a transit country as it is a poor state which they do not find attractive.

According to him, the mass refugee influx should be put under control as among the migrants are not only people fleeing war but also others who are making use of the situation to enter the EU.