Last week, the interior and economy ministries began a check into the travel agencies that are allegedly involved in the illegal trafficking of Bulgarian minorities to Norway. So far, some 300 Roma have been returned to Bulgaria after they fled to the Scandinavian country.

ET Deri-ka Daniela Garvalova, one of the agencies that organized the travel of Bulgarian Roma to Norway, could be charged the maximum fine provided for in the Act on Tourism for operating without the necessary licence, announced the Economy Ministry last Thursday. The chairman of the Commission of Trade and Consumers Protection (CTCP) ordered the temporary closure of the agency. ET Deri-ka, with a registered office in Rousse, could be fined up to 30 million leva.

Acting on reports from the media and the Interior Ministry, the CTCP checked three agencies. The other two - Intertop Commerce in Rousse and Ivkoni in Sofia - had not broken the law. The police and the CTCP intend to inspect Top Travel of Sofia, based on other reports. Six CTCP teams and the Economic Police started checking tour operators on August 9.

The National Police Service (NPS) has participated in the investigation, however the NPS's press office declined to give any information, saying that no data could be revealed until the proceedings were concluded.

"We are trying to limit the emigration wave of Bulgarians abroad," said Interior Minister Georgi Petkanov at a press conference on Friday, referring to the Roma from Rousse and Razgrad who sought political asylum in Norway. An interdepartmental group of representatives of the foreign, interior, labour and economy ministries was established two weeks ago to discuss ways to improve the living standards of the Roma. Measures to achieve this will be proposed within the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry is drafting and applying a plan to curb the emigration wave, said Petkanov. "Bulgarians should understand that there are absolutely no reasons whatsoever to seek political asylum abroad," he added. Last week, in another speech, the interior minister said he was very concerned with the danger of possible damage to Bulgaria's image before the European structures as a result of the wave of emigrants. He said that the Ministry has stepped up work on the case within its legal powers.

The Interior Ministry is checking all of the 11 companies which organize tours to Belgium and Norway, said Petkanov. He requested the assistance of the media for an awareness campaign to prevent new groups of people from being misled in the future.

Petkanov said that Norway and Belgium no longer provide refugee aid and that Bulgarian nationals could not apply for political asylum in any European country. The minister also stressed the need for co-operation between the Ministry and the media and promised that information about the next actions of the Ministry would be released to the media in good time.