The Bulgarian government considers new measures  to secure its southern and southeastern borders to avoid migrant arrivals, Deutsche Welle says in a report.

"Now that the western Balkan route is closed, refugees are increasingly trying to reach the EU via its eastern Bulgarian border. The government in Sofia wants to stop this and is planning to install more fences," the report explains.

The moves, which include the extension of a border fence now spanning 30 km along the border with Turkey, are a result of a surge in the number of migrants trying to cross into Bulgaria.

DW also cites an earlier idea of Bulgarian authorities to erect a fence along the 484-km border with Greece.  

These are consequences of the closure of the Greece-Macedonia border which was also part of the Western Balkans Route.

A former border police chief is quoted as pointing to people smuggling through Bulgaria, which is "very well organized", with migrants and refugees being "taken from the Turkish border to the Serbian border within 72 hours."

There is a "business partnership" between human traffickers, the border patrol and Bulgarian police" that is "tolerated by those in charge," the former head, Valeri Grigorov, is quoted as saying.

DW's full story can be read here.

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