A shot hits a young Syrian on the Bulgarian-Turkish border. According to research by several media, border police officers are said to be responsible. Bulgaria rejects the accusation and speaks of aggressive behavior by migrants. It's not the first time a shot has been fired on the spot.
According to research by ARD and other media, a refugee was allegedly shot by Bulgarian border officials at the EU's external border in Bulgaria. The media said it was a young Syrian whose name was known and who was taken to a Turkish hospital after the incident. In an initial reaction, Bulgaria denied that its border police had shot at migrants. According to a statement by the Interior Ministry in Sofia, which was broadcast by state television and state radio, 65 people tried to "cross the border illegally".
A media-verified video from October 3, 2022 shows a young man on the Bulgarian-Turkish border among a group of refugees. They throw stones at the border fence. A shot is heard and the young man collapses. According to the media, the exact video analysis suggests that the shot could have been fired from a distance of around 30 meters from the direction of the Bulgarian border. According to the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior, the behavior of the migrants was "aggressive". A police car was damaged by stones and a border police officer was injured.
In November, the European Commission confirmed that Bulgaria was showing a great deal of commitment to border protection and was effectively countering the high migratory pressure. Bulgaria wants to be included in the Schengen area. Bulgaria has been complaining about an increase in migrants at the EU's external border with Turkey for weeks. 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.
