Bulgaria returns Afghan migrants to Greece
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 29 May 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Bulgaria returns Afghan migrants to Greece, 29 May 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5769018128.html [accessed 18 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
May 29, 2016
Bulgaria has returned dozens of migrants detained aboard a freight train from Greece back to its southern neighbor.
The migrants returned on May 29 included 56 Afghans. It was the first time Bulgaria had deported migrants to Greece.
A separate group of some 40 Syrians and Iraqis detained on May 28 were expected to be deported at a later date.
The migrants were all detained on May 28 in what was the largest number of people caught trying to enter the Eastern European country since the start of the migrant crisis.
"We have sent a strong message to traffickers who are exploiting these unfortunates," Bulgarian Interior Minister Rumyana Bachvarova said after the Afghan migrants were returned to Greece.
Greece's border with Macedonia, just to the west, is now effectively closed to migrants, sparking fears in Bulgaria that they may instead try to transit its territory on their way north.
Bulgaria shares a 500-kilometer border with Greece.
Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
