According to research by the German television station ARD and other media, a refugee was shot by Bulgarian border officials at the external border of the EU in Bulgaria. The man is said to be a young Syrian known by name and was taken to a Turkish hospital after the incident.
In an initial response on Tuesday, Bulgaria denied that the country’s border police had fired on migrants. According to a statement from the Interior Ministry in Sofia, broadcast by state TV and radio, 65 people “tried to cross the border illegally”.
A shot can be heard in the video
Video verified by the said media on October 3 shows a young man at the Bulgarian-Turkish border among a group of refugees throwing stones at the border fence. A shot rings out and the young man collapses.
According to the media, the exact video analysis suggests that the shot could have been fired at a distance of about 30 meters from the direction of the Bulgarian border. The Bulgarian Interior Ministry says only that the behavior of the migrants was “aggressive”. A police car was damaged by stones and a border police officer was injured.
Bulgaria wants to join the Schengen area
In November, the European Commission confirmed that Bulgaria is demonstrating a strong commitment to border security and is effectively coping with the high migratory pressure. Like Romania, Bulgaria wants to be included in the border-free Schengen area. Austria is the only EU country opposed.
Bulgaria has been complaining for weeks about an increase in migrants at the EU’s external border with Turkey. The border police was therefore reinforced by soldiers. A Bulgarian policeman was shot dead on November 8 while guarding the border with Turkey. According to Bulgarian sources, the shot came from Turkey.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
