Bulgaria to Complete Anti-Immigration Fence Along Turkish Border by 2016

The erection of the 58 kilometer fence is expected to begin in July.

Bulgaria is hoping to complete a fence along its border with Turkey by the end of 2015, IA REGNUM reported citing a source in the Bulgarian Home Ministry.

Sofia began the construction of a three-meter fence along the Bulgarian-Turkish border in 2013 to curb illegal immigration. Thirty-three kilometers of the fence had been built by July 2014, and another 58 must be put up by 2016.

The constructed fence fragment helped decrease illegal border crossing by seven times, the country's deputy prime minister said in late 2014. Over 45 million euros would be allocated for the building of additional fence parts, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov announced in January.

Over the last years Turkey has become a "gate" for illegal immigration from Asia and Africa to the European Union, the news agency said.  According to Bulgaria's border police, the level of illegal immigration has reached the critical point over the last six years.

Most illegal migrants arrive in Bulgaria from Syria and Afghanistan, with the growing number of people coming from North Africa. Specialists anticipate a surge in illegal migration via Bulgaria's maritime border check points.