Current officers of the General Directorate of the Border Police (DGBP) submitted a report to Iskra.bg, in which they describe the enormous problems they face daily, while exercising their profession. It primarily concerns the condition of the border fence. It is broken in places, has potholes and is generally not the most effective means of stopping illegal migrants as they describe it. The problem is the CCTV cameras and the range of the radios, which do not cover the entire border, and this turns the border guards into “cannon fodder” in these areas.
The second major challenge for the border police is related to the infrastructure, which is in very poor condition. The roads they pass through are bad and as a result, official vehicles are broken down. There are sections with steep gradients where they have to stop, but if they do, then the patrol cars can’t start because they either have to turn around or have a traffic accident.
It is not normal in 2023 for border police officers in an important country, such as Bulgaria, given its geopolitical location in the European Union, to patrol the border with UAZ vehicles. Those who reported to our editors claimed that 120 new cars would soon be bought, but it is not normal to use UAZ cars at this time, since these are morally outdated cars, they do not bring the efficiency and security that would should have. It is also stated that the number of cars is insufficient. A Border Police officer further revealed that they also have a written order that it is their responsibility to go out with a broken down car and if an accident happens, they are to blame.
Those working in the DGBP are also in desperate need of new equipment such as night vision devices, thermal cameras, cars and drones that would save them hours of wandering. According to them, more dogs should be trained, as they did a wonderful job, but there were not enough. The four-legged animals also should be trained by the employees they are going to work with so that they get used to them.
The carelessness of senior police chiefs and the Minister of Interior is among the reasons for the departure of border officers. Their deaths are the result of a variety of problems, but chief among them is the negligence of the Border Police authorities and the Ministry of Interior in general, as well as the fact that for certain people, scheming is a priority over the lives of border policemen.
The state and situation of the Bulgarian border policeman is more than tragic – starting from his clothes, going through the equipment and ending with the cars. At the same time, when a check came from Sofia, there was an extremely pleasant and good working atmosphere, and everything looked perfect – the uniforms were polished, the policemen were neat, there were people for everything, the assignments were given as they should have been, the shifts were perfect, and the patrol cars were in perfect condition. The moment the inspection was over, the border guards were given the old UAZ vehicles and the broken down cars they had to do their daily duties with. They also claim that the sectors not directly involved in the protection of the state border are better equipped materially and technically than the officers directly involved in its protection.
Due to Schengen and other reasons, there was a requirement that the police should treat migrants humanely. First of all, the district police have such an attitude, which is sometimes too much. As a result, they beat our border policemen, kill them or throw stones at them. According to the officers of the Border Police, these are not refugees, but criminals, because there are rules and regulations to cross the Bulgarian border, and they crossed it whoever, wherever and however they wanted – that is, illegally. It is a crime and therefore they are criminals. If a migrant wants to comply with the rules – they should go to the Border Crossing Point, not try to cross the border fence with ladders.
The police show extreme tolerance and humanity towards these refugees and it often happens that the price they pay for it is too high – with their lives or that of their colleagues. In this regard, they are demanding tougher measures against illegal border crossings, as well as greater powers to be able to:
- To protect the Republic of Bulgaria;
- To protect themselves and the lives of their colleagues.
At the Border Police Station in Malko Tarnovo, there is a large yard in which there are dozens of cars – of the Border Police, the Security Police. They are sitting there, broken down and waiting to be fixed. At the same time, there are nice cars among them, which can be repaired with little money and given to the border guards to do their duty. The question is why they are not repaired in a timely manner, why they are not provided to the law enforcement officers, and at the same time there is a shortage of vehicles and the police are driving around in UAZ cars.
Based on everything stated in the article, the officers asked the following questions:
- For what reason do these things happen – is it because the management cannot organize itself and get things in order so that the police can safely perform their duties? Or does someone not want the police officers to do their duties and deliberately create such disorder?
- Why do people leave the Border Police or die, but this is not taken into account? Does the management of the Border Police of the Ministry of Interior care about the lives of the police officers or are they some dry statistics for them?
- If they care about the lives of police officers, then why don’t they provide everything they need to save not only their lives, but those of their colleagues?
