Bulgarian PM on ‘migrant hunters’: ‘No one has the right to arrest outside the law’

In his latest comment on civilian groups intercepting migrants and refugees near the country’s borders, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov has told a Cabinet meeting: “No one has the right to make arrests outside the law”.

Borissov told his ministers, according to a transcript of the April 13 2016 Cabinet meeting: “I have not called on anyone to go and fight, to tie up or harass anyone. Anyone who crosses the land border is an intruder, and I said thank you to everyone who made a call so that they could be detained”.

Borissov has been caught up in controversy since his April 10 comments apparently endorsing the actions of illicit groups of “migrant hunters” detaining migrants and refugees.

At the time, Borissov said: “Any help for the police, for the Border Police and for the state is welcome. I thanked them (just who he meant by ‘them’ is now disputed), I sent the director of the Border Police to meet with them so that they can co-ordinate their information. This is our common state. Anyone who helps deserves thanks”.

Borissov’s comments a few days ago, and reports of a civilian group being given an award by the Border Police, caused controversy with human rights groups alleging that the Prime Minister was guilty of inciting the crime of illegal detention.

The controversy in recent days was centred on a group of men who captured migrants from Afghanistan, violently pushed them to the ground, bound their hands, allegedly tried to rob them, and then, in broken English, shouted at them to go back across the border into Turkey...
  [sofiaglobe.com]
12/4/16
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Related:

• Bulgaria arrests ‘migrant hunter’ self-styled “volunteer squad” border patrol

• Bulgarian Border Police chief: Migrant-hunting ‘somewhat illegal’

• Bulgarian "volunteers" filmed tying up migrants...