Bulgarian security authorities have announced the detention of dozens of undocumented migrants in the country’s border region. According to official reports, Bulgarian border police intercepted and arrested 35 men who identified themselves as Afghan citizens during a targeted operation.
Kabul 24: The incident comes amid heightened surveillance across the eastern borders of the European Union aimed at curbing irregular migration.
An official statement from the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior confirmed that the individuals were apprehended on August 18 in the area of the Malko Tarnovo border police station as they attempted to cross into North Macedonia.
The ministry added that all detainees have been handed over to relevant judicial authorities for legal processing, and formal case files have been opened against them.
In connection with the operation, border police also arrested the driver of the minibus transporting the migrants.
The driver a 22-year-old citizen of North Macedonia faces charges related to human smuggling and the illegal transportation of migrants. Bulgarian judicial authorities confirmed that legal proceedings against the driver are actively underway.
Local Bulgarian media reported that under the country’s updated immigration regulations, all migrants entering unlawfully must be held at specialized screening facilities for up to seven days for security background checks and medical evaluations before being transferred to long-term refugee camps.
Bulgaria, a Balkan nation of roughly 7 million people and one of the poorest members of the European Union, serves as a primary transit route for irregular migrants from the Middle East and Afghanistan entering via Turkey.
Afghan asylum seekers frequently attempt the Turkey–Bulgaria land route to reach wealthier Western European nations—a journey fraught with severe dangers.
In February 2023, a tragic incident along this route led to the deaths of 18 Afghan nationals who suffocated inside an abandoned truck.
