Winter Tourism: 1.8 Million Visit Bulgaria
Bulgaria has witnessed a bustling winter tourism season, with a total of 1.8 million tourists gracing its picturesque landscapes from December 1 to March 25
Austrian criminal authorities are registering an increased preference by migrants for a route via Bulgaria and Hungary that will take them to Western Europe, Austrian media say.
According to Austrian newspaper Die Presse's website, there has been an increase in the numbers of migrants crossing into Bulgaria and Hungary after the border between Macedonia and Greece was sealed off.
Macedonia imposed in February restrictions on its frontier, allowing only dozens of migrants to cross into the country from Greece and barring access to "economic migrants" whose country of origin is neither Syria nor Iraq.
However, "[people] smugglers are seeking not to lose their business," Die Presse quotes Gerald Tatzgern, an official with the Federal Criminal Service of Austria, as telling the morning program of ?1 TV station.
Leiter, who heads the anti-smuggling unit of the agency, said smugglers were active in the bigger refugee camps in Turkey, and apart from Greece more intensive activities were already being observed in Bulgaria as well.
Hundreds of smuggler networks of 10-15 people on average were active in the Balkans, Leiter added.
Bulgaria has not been on the major route for migrants over the past months, as stepped up security measures along its borders with Turkey (where a fence has been erected) and Greece, but also complaints of irregular migrants about pushbacks and beatings by Bulgarian border police have discouraged many migrants from trying. The Bulgarian route, on the other hand, is said to be a more expensive offer by smugglers as it does not involve a perilous sea journey as the one across the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey.
A "revival of the dangerous sea routes" could also be expected, Die Presse also quotes "news agencies" as saying.
Leiter's comments follow an agreement "in principle" between the EU and Turkey to curb the flow of migrants which has virtually closed the so-called Western Balkans route from Greece into Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and then Germany.
Bulgaria's Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova on Wednesday confirmed there is a danger of increased migratory pressure on Bulgaria, but argued Bulgaria was holding on to its border protection commitments.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
The presidential election landscape in North Macedonia is poised for a runoff between Gordana Siljanovska, representing VMRO-DPMNE, and Stevo Pendarovski, backed by SDSM
A damning report from the US State Department has unveiled a troubling reality of systematic racial and ethnic violence and discrimination against Bulgarians in the Republic of North Macedonia
The debate surrounding the inclusion of Bulgarians in North Macedonia's constitution, a crucial precondition for the country's European Union accession talks, has taken center stage in the ongoing presidential campaign
Amid escalating tensions on its borders and a significant increase in the Ministry of National Defense budget, Romania is discreetly preparing for the reintroduction of compulsory military service
In a strategic move aimed at bolstering their defense capabilities, Romania and South Korea have embarked on negotiations for joint arms production, signaling a significant milestone in their bilateral relations
Romania is making strides toward joining the Visa Waiver Program, a significant milestone that would enable its citizens to travel to the United States visa-free for up to 90 days
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022