Frontex has  said that it will significantly strengthen its ongoing activities at Bulgaria’s land borders with Turkey and Serbia in response to a request from the country’s government.

“In the coming weeks, Frontex will deploy border surveillance officers, patrol cars, thermo-vision vans and dog teams to the land border with Turkey,” Berndt Koerner, deputy executive director of the European border management agency, said in a statement on Friday.

“At the same time border surveillance will also be reinforced at the Bulgarian-Serbian border,” Koerner added.

Frontex will also strengthen its presence at the border crossing points to help the Bulgarian authorities detect persons hidden in cars, buses and trains.

In addition, more screening and debriefing experts will be deployed at the border crossing points to help the Bulgarian authorities determine the nationality of the incoming migrants and gather information about the activities of smuggling networks.

In a separate statement, Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos welcomed the decision of Frontex “to increase its presence in Bulgaria and help maintain efficient border management along the Balkan route.”

Frontex says it deploys 63 experts of different profiles at Bulgaria’s border with Turkey and 17 border surveillance officers at the border with Serbia at present.

Bulgaria’s Minister of the Interior Rumyana Bachvarova warned earlier this week of increased migrant smuggling activity through the country's territory.

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