site.btaBulgarian President, Cypriot Interior Minister Discuss Migration Control

Meeting in Sofia on Wednesday, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and Cypriot Interior Minister Nicos Nouris discussed the protection of the external EU border and the effort to prevent illegal migration, the President's Press Secretariat reported.

Nouris is visiting Bulgaria at the invitation of his counterpart Boyko Rashkov. His meeting with the President was also attended by the Ambassador of Cyprus to Bulgaria, Marios Kountourides.

It was noted at the meeting that the two countries have been faced with intensified migrant flows since late 2021. Cyprus has witnessed an increase in illegal migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa, whose number already exceeds that of people coming from the Middle East. Bulgaria has registered 16,000 trespassing attempts since the beginning of 2022, made primarily by Afghans, which is more than three times the number a year earlier.

Radev and Nouris concurred that, being part of the external EU border, Bulgaria and Cyprus are responsible for controlling traveller flows into Europe. Therefore, they expect more efficient solidarity in EU policies in order to avoid a repetition of the migrant crisis of 2016-2017. Upgrading the mechanisms for reliable border control and enhancing protection capabilities is important for the security of the region and all Europe, the two officials concurred.

In this context, the EU should maintain a balance between responsibility and solidarity while taking account of the concerns of the member states along the external border and the specific circumstances of each country, Radev said. He and Nouris also looked at the mechanisms for returning migrants who have entered the EU illegally.

Sofia and Nicosia share the view that the countries receiving Ukrainian refugees should be adequately supported by the European Commission. Cyprus favours Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen border-free area, the guest said.