Under the Interreg IPA Bulgaria–Turkey Program, as the €1.7 million strategic project aimed at enhancing cooperation in border management between Bulgaria and Turkey nears completion, its results were shared with the public at an event held in Burgas, Bulgaria.
The beneficiaries of the project, including Chief Commissioner Nikolay Nenkov of the Burgas Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, Burgas Governor Dobromir Gyulev, and Deputy Governor of Kırklareli Yusuf Güler, attended the event, as well as Director of Territorial Cooperation Management Directorate, Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works of Bulgaria Desislava Georgieva representing the Managing Authority of the Programme, Deputy Director General for Financial Cooperation and Project Implementation at the Directorate for EU Affairs of Türkiye Serdar Öztürk representing the National Authority of the Programme, and Programme Manager at the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission Margarita Grantcharska-De Muynck.
During the event, the results achieved within the scope of the project, particularly those aimed at strengthening coordination among law enforcement authorities in the field of migration management and enhancing technical capacity, were shared with the participants Following the program, at a ceremony held in front of the ‘Flora’ Exhibition Center in Burgas, the official handover of 16 off-road vehicles and 3 minibuses provided under the project took place. Following the official handover by the authorities, a technical demonstration of the equipment was conducted, providing information on its areas of use. The ceremony continued with a group photo session and concluded with a media session and interviews where questions from the press were addressed.
The project titled “Increasing Capacity and Improving Cooperation of Law Enforcement Authorities in the Field of Migration Management in the Administrative Regions of Haskovo, Burgas and Yambol and the Provinces of Edirne and Kırklareli for a Safer and More Secure Europe,” focused on enhancing the capacities and professional skills of law enforcement personnel working in the respective regions in the field of migration management. It aimed to train police officers in Bulgaria, and in Türkiye, both police officers and customs enforcement officers, due to their involvement in activities carried out in customs-controlled areas.
On the Turkish side, the project partners and beneficiaries were the Governorships of Edirne and Kırklareli. On the Bulgarian side, the lead partner of the project was the Burgas Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, while the other Bulgarian partners were the Regional Directorates of Haskovo and Yambol.
Within the scope of the project, beneficiaries received training in many different areas. These trainings aimed to enhance the knowledge of law enforcement authorities in the cross-border region regarding EU legislation, common tools and mechanisms at the EU level, national institutional frameworks, and policies related to the management of migration flows. In addition, it was aimed to contribute to achieving common competencies among partners and to strengthen the ability of the relevant departments to function effectively within national migration management systems. In this context, the project contributed to improving the professional capacities and skills of law enforcement authorities in the cross-border region.
The trainings also covered topics such as the legal framework concerning illegal migration-related crimes, current trends in illegal migration activities, and organizational, tactical, and operational follow-up actions carried out by law enforcement authorities. Through joint trainings, it was aimed to further strengthen coordination among law enforcement authorities in the cross-border regions of both countries in combating illegal migration, as well as to facilitate the exchange of experience and best practices in institutional cooperation for the implementation of operational activities. In addition, within the scope of the project, two joint trainings focusing on communication skills and the development of language competencies were also delivered in order to enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement authorities.