Bulgaria, IOM to Step up Joint Action Against People Trafficking, Smuggling

Boosting cooperation between Bulgaria and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in countering illegal migration to Europe was in the focus of a meeting between Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov and IOM Deputy Director General Laura Thompson in Sofia on Monday.

"We are glad that we managed to develop a new cooperation agreement which fully takes into account the current challenges in the field of migration," Mitov said.

He also said that the agreement will facilitate the creation of a working mechanism for cooperation in the implementation of programmes for assisted voluntary return and reintegration of third-country nationals, as well as for prevention and combating of trafficking and supporting the victims of trafficking.

Thompson and Mitov agreed that fighting the trafficking and smuggling of people is among the first and most important steps in tackling increased migratory pressure, according to a press release issued by the foreign ministry in Sofia.

Bulgaria coordinates its efforts to tackle illegal migration with other EU member states and improves its legislation on migration with the ultimate goal of creating conditions for respect of human rights, Mitov said.

Draft amendments to Bulgaria's Criminal Code have been proposed to Parliament to drastically increase jail terms and fines for people smugglers and their accomplices. The head of Europol, Rob Wainwright, said last month that the European police agency had collected information about up to 30,000 people suspected of being involved in people smuggling in Europe in 2015 alone.

Thompson and Mitov agreed on the need to increase the penalties for trafficking and smuggling of people. They also said that the fight against trafficking and smuggling of people should target criminal networks both in non-EU countries, from which migrants arrive, and in EU member states.

With the IOM being a key partner of the EU in the reintegration of migrants into the countries of origin, Bulgaria is pleased to be able to use the expertise which the organization can provide, he added.

Laura Thompson said that large refugee flows must be stopped but not by closing borders.

Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev said on Sunday that the Bulgarian Army is ready to assist border police in guarding the country's frontier with Turkey against an influx of illegal migrants.