EU Commissioner Rejected the Idea of Financing a Fence along the Bulgarian-Turkish Border

European Union interior ministers discussed on Thursday ways to curb illegal immigration and return more migrants amid a surge in arrivals following lows during the pandemic, Reuters reported.

The agency notes that controversial ideas about border fences and centers for asylum seekers outside Europe have been revived.

European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ylva Johansson has rejected the request of Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer for financing the additional construction of the fence along the Bulgarian-Turkish border.

In her words, "there is no money for this in the EU budget. So if we spend money on walls and fences, there will be no money for other things".

Increased migrant pressure

The European border agency Frontex reported nearly 330,000 new illegal arrivals last year, the highest level since 2016. A sharp rise is observed on the route through the Western Balkans.

"We have a huge increase in illegal migrants," Ylva Johansson said during the meeting. "We have a very low return rate and I think we can make significant progress on that," she added.

Denmark, the Netherlands and Latvia were among the countries calling for more pressure through visas and development aid for nearly 20 countries, including Iraq and Senegal. According to the EU, they do not cooperate with the return of their citizens who do not have the right to remain in Europe.

Only a fifth of these people were returned last year, and according to the European Commission, insufficient resources and coordination by the EU are another obstacle.

The ministerial meeting was held ahead of the February 9-10 European Council, which will also consider increasing the return of...