Bulgaria Not Planning to Build New Migrant Centers

Bulgarian Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova has said the government does not plan to set up new accommodation centers for migrants.

While on a visit to the border areas between Bulgaria and Turkey, she has voiced the cabinet's confidence the existing infrastructure will help address the current inflow of migrants.

Bachvarova's words come against the backdrop of comments by other officials suggesting the state is looking into options to open new accommodation centers and is surveying possible land plots.

FRONTEX staff, bringing equipment and dogs, are expected "soon", while German assistance - police vehicles and thermal surveillance cameras - are expected within a week, public broadcaster BNR also quotes her as saying during her inspection in the border region of Malko Tarnovo.

Recently, the government announced it was to expand the existing migrant center in Harmanli to address the increased number of arrivals.

Bachvarova, however, cites figures showing the migratory pressure on the Bulgarian-Turkish border has decreased by 30% compared to the summer of last year.

Official figures about migrants having crossed into Bulgaria are only available until July as of the moment, with August data not yet published by the State Agency for Refugees (DAB).