Bulgaria pushes for EU-wide migrant return system
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said his country is doing all it can to secure the European Union’s external borders and fight human trafficking and smuggling networks. He made the remarks at a high-level migration meeting hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, held ahead of the European Council gathering.
Zhelyazkov stressed that returning irregular migrants is essential to managing migration and backed a unified European return system based on mandatory mutual recognition of return decisions. He noted stronger talks with high-risk third countries and praised the European Commission’s ongoing role in these efforts. As a positive step, he cited a joint letter by 20 EU interior ministers—including Bulgaria’s—on voluntary and forced returns to Afghanistan.
He welcomed EU progress on defining “safe third countries” and updating the list of “safe countries of origin,” reaffirming Bulgaria’s commitment to constructive talks. Zhelyazkov also supported the creation of European return centers in accordance with international law and with full respect for human rights. He concluded by urging the next EU budget to fund sustainable development in origin and transit countries to address migration at its roots.
