Anton Zlatanov

The Bulgarian Border Police received 110 off-road vehicles today, marking the first delivery of a total of 360 units designated for the directorate. Starting in September, the phased delivery of the remaining vehicles will commence, with an additional 200 pick-up vehicles expected by the end of the year.

Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, director of the Main Directorate "Border Police", asserted Bulgaria's readiness to fully integrate into the Schengen area, citing Austria's veto as the sole obstacle preventing this transition. Zlatanov criticized Austria's veto, deeming it unjust during an interview on BNT.

In a recent announcement by the European Commission, significant progress has been reported in the joint efforts to safeguard the external borders of Bulgaria and Romania. The EU's support has yielded promising outcomes, particularly in the areas of migrant returns, asylum procedures, and countering smuggling activities.

In a significant crackdown on organized crime, Bulgarian Border Police have detained ten individuals involved in migrant trafficking during a targeted operation in the Burgas area. Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, Director of the General Directorate Border Police, disclosed the details of the operation to bTV on Wednesday, revealing that more arrests may follow.

Bulgaria's Border Police Directorate General has revealed a significant surge in migrant attempts to cross the country's borders during the summer of 2023 compared to the previous year.

The Main Directorate of the Border Police has temporarily suspended three border officers assigned to the Strezimirovtsi border crossing on the day of 49-year-old Kiril Rusev's murder. The officers faced suspension after two defendants in the murder case, Alexander Kinov and Petar Alexnadrov, attempted to manipulate the situation by crossing the Serbian border using Rusev's identity card.

Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov from Bulgaria's Border Police addressed recent developments regarding Bulgaria's Schengen entry and the evolving migrant situation in Europe.

In the period from January to November 2023, Bulgaria saw a significant surge in migrant detentions, with a total of 18,008 third-country citizens apprehended by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This marked a stark 15.4% increase from the previous year's numbers, signifying a growing challenge for the nation.

Anton Zlatanov, the director of Bulgaria's Border Police, addressed Austria's requirements for Bulgaria's entry into Schengen, calling them potentially political rather than professional. In an interview with жTV, Zlatanov expressed uncertainty regarding the stipulations put forth by Austria and highlighted the lack of concrete professional arguments against Bulgaria's entry into Schengen.

A total of ten individuals have been arrested in an extensive police operation aimed at disrupting an organized crime syndicate involved in trafficking migrants, announced Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, head of the Border Police. These arrests, which took place across Sofia and Montana in Northwestern Bulgaria, primarily targeted Bulgarian nationals.