“[Tragic event] near [the town of] Sredets is an accident, while human smugglers are real murderers,” said Meglena Kuneva, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister for European Policies Coordination and Institutional Affairs, speaking for the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) on Monday.

An Afghan migrant who illegally entered Bulgaria died last week after a rebound bullet hit him after a border police officer from the town of Sredets fired a warning shot into the air.

“Any comments on the part of people involved in politics that label [the case] “a murder” or “unprofessionalism” come to be very sharply against Bulgarian institutions. While there is not an official position, we can say only that border police is a Bulgarian institutions and Bulgarian institutions act in a professional manner until the opposite is proven and in the interest of the state,” Ms Kuneva commented.

“This is an accident beyond a doubt. I am more than certain our police officers attempt to prevent any fatal accidents from taking place,” the senior government official added.

“Experts will establish step by step what actions were taken. Saying until then this is a murder and a Bulgarian institution acted in an illegal manner literally means firing a gun at ourselves as a state,” Meglena Kuneva remarked.

Referring to the situation regarding the refugee crisis across Europe, Kuneve said this was unprecedented pressure, which even posed difficulties to countries with “perfect” administration, such as Germany, and they could not tackle it.

“Bulgaria is a not a Schengen Area member state. This is an additional reason for tension for us,” Meglena Kuneva stated.

In her view, additional manners for protecting the Bulgarian borders should be sought but the most important thing is detaining human smugglers as they are certainly the real criminals.

“The Bulgarian state should direct its efforts namely at them. They are the murderers,” Meglena Kuneva was explicit.

According to her, the situation would be different if Bulgaria was part of the Schengen Area.