Law enforcement forces of Türkiye and Bulgaria seek to improve their capacity to handle the irregular migration problem in the two countries sitting on the Balkan route.

A 1.7 million euro project will both offer better training for the security forces of the two neighboring countries and better cooperation to stop the phenomenon aggravated in the past decade. The project will cover forces stationed in Bulgaria’s Burgas, Haskovo and Yambol and Türkiye’s Edirne and Kırklareli, all at the front line of irregular migration flowing into Europe.

The project’s coordinator Şenol Filiz said at an event last week in Edirne that the security personnel would see their abilities and communication skills improved through training and they would also be well-informed about EU regulations on tackling the migration. He noted that the project would also provide more equipment and vehicles to law enforcement. He stated that border guards and outposts would be furnished with high technology, including devices to spot forged documents and cameras for recognition of license plates. Law enforcement members will also participate in Bulgarian and English classes as part of the one-year project.

Migrants using the so-called Balkan land route in their efforts to reach Western Europe come to Serbia from Bulgaria or North Macedonia before moving on to Hungary, Croatia or Bosnia-Herzegovina.

To reach wealthy western European countries, people fleeing wars and poverty often turn to people smugglers to take them across borders without authorization. They face multiple dangers along their journeys.

Türkiye has seen an influx of irregular migrants, especially from Asia, in recent years.

In the past 20 years, the country has intercepted 2.6 million irregular migrants.

Situated at the intersection of Asia, Europe and Africa, the country has been a transit route for irregular migrants due to its role as a bridge between wealthy Western countries and underdeveloped countries with political and economic instabilities. This "transit" role, however, changed into a final destination in recent years as Türkiye grew into a rising power in the international community, especially for refugees from the Middle East.

Though the number varies over the years, Afghans and Syrians make up the bulk of intercepted irregular migrants. Between 2014 and 2017, Syrians topped the list of intercepted migrants ahead of Afghan nationals. Afghan migrants replaced them in the first place after 2018. Between January 2014 and July 11 of this year, 766,587 Afghan irregular migrants were intercepted, while this number was 476,574 for Syrians.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told reporters earlier this month that they heavily invested in border security. "We spent $950 million and will spend another $136 million this year," he said, citing the costs of a 1,253-kilometer-long (778.57 miles-long) wall across the country’s borders, hundreds of "patrolling lanes" staffed by security forces along the blind spots of the border, thermal cameras and other technological instruments to watch the border.