Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Bulgaria about reports of (1) police assaults, and (2) valuables being confiscated, from Afghan and Pakistani migrants near the border with Turkey.

The UK Government is aware of recent reports of a small number of alleged cases of mistreatment of migrants upon arrival in Bulgaria. The number of irregular migrants transiting Bulgaria has reduced in recent months and, although these cases have not been raised specifically, our Embassy in Sofia regularly engages with the government of Bulgaria and international partners on the need to address irregular migration and the challenges it presents.

While the UK fully supports the right of States to control their borders, we also expect States to fulfil their international obligations and protect and promote the human rights of migrants, including by investigating reports of alleged mistreatment and by putting appropriate procedures in place to ensure that migrants are treated fairly and appropriately, in line with international standards.