Bulgaria is a reliable member of the European Union and has met the technical criteria for Schengen membership and deserves to be part of this area, Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov said during a conference at the European Parliament in Brussels.
Sarafov underlined the key role of our country in the effective management of the EU's external borders, in overcoming the migration-related problems and the security of the Union. "In today's world of instability and profound transformations, these challenges take on particular urgency and certainly deserve every effort to solve them," the Acting Prosecutor General said.
Sarafov expressed confidence that the discussion in the European Parliament, in which representatives of the European Commission, the EU Border Security Service, MEPs and representatives of the Ministry of Interior participate, will enable the formulation of concrete proposals for harmonized implementation of the rules and standards for border control and will reveal new perspectives for the European security system.
Deputy Prosecutor General Maria Pavlova also participated in the forum. In her speech, she stressed that the continuous efforts of the Ministry of Interior and the Prosecutor's Office to protect the borders not only of Bulgaria, but of the entire EU - as an external border for the community, are of fundamental importance for the effective fight against cross-border crime, for the protection of the national security of the countries and for overcoming the challenges that arise from illegal migration and the accompanying crimes.
Pavlova said that over the past three years the number of crimes investigated by the Prosecutor's Office related to the migrant pressure and the protection of the national border had increased dramatically.
"The joint efforts of all services, both domestically and internationally, are particularly important. The sooner we enter the Schengen area, the sooner the problems will be solved," Pavlova said, stressing that there is no reason why Bulgaria should not be accepted into Schengen.