Author
State of the facilities
Since 2015 conditions in national reception centres in general have been deteriorating and as a whole, substandard, with support limited to accommodation, nutrition and rudimentary medical help without provision of psychological care or assistance.[1] In 2022 an SAR internal revision of the reception centres’ capacity revealed it[2] to be far below long-time stated 5,160 places, mainly because the designated premises were unfit for living. In 2024, SAR reported just 3,225 places available for accommodation[3] in all of its reception centres. The asylum agency continued to be severely underfunded in general. The SAR annual budgets were,[4] respectively, in 2021: 10,689,700 BGN; in 2022:14,095,300 BGN; in 2023: 12,038,218 BGN and in 2024: 11,717,200 BGN. The only budget allocated for repairs or refurbishment[5] of the reception centers was of 145,000 BGN in 2022 with no such means allocated in 2020, 2021, 2023 or 2024 annual budgets of the asylum agency.
As a consequence, reception centers where applicants are accommodated pending their asylum procedure continued to present recurring problems regarding infrastructure and material conditions, which in many instances were substandard and did not ensure even the most basic services relating nutrition and sanitation of personal and communal spaces. Regular water, hot water, repair of utilities and equipment in bathrooms, rooms and common areas remained extremely problematic due to the lack of budget. Vermin infestation, such as bedbugs, lice, cockroaches and rats also remain among the most persisting problems in reception centres for many years. The oldest reception facility of Ovcha Kupel shelter in Sofia is found to be at a state of complete dilapidation to the extent that at a certain point the SAR management considered its full closure.[6] At the end of 2024, the only space in it which continued to be used for accommodation was the safe-zone for the unaccompanied children, managed by IOM. Occupants from all reception centres, except Pastrogor transit center, continued to complain about the living conditions, especially regarding bedbugs which regularly cause health issues, i.e. perpetual skin inflammations and allergic reactions. This problem arose after 2013, was continuously neglected until 2023 and remains a very serious issue to this day, despite the regular monthly and ad hoc disinfections made throughout 2024.[7]
Food in reception centres was provided through catering arrangements to deliver three meals per day. As catering providers are selected regionally based on the lowest price offer[8] these vary among the different reception centres. Thus, in Ovcha Kupel, Voenna Rampa and Vrazhdebna shelters in Sofia reception centre these three meals per day were delivered at the price of BGN 5.38, equal to EUR 2.75; in Harmanli reception centre – at the price of BGN 6.54, equal to EUR 3.35; in Banya reception centre – at the price of BGN 6.24, equal to EUR 3.20; and in Pastrogor transit centre – at the price of BGN 6.01, equal to EUR 3.08 daily. The individual monthly allowance provided for in the law is not translated into practice as it is not provided since 2015.[9] For this reason, in 2024 asylum seekers continued to complain not only about food quality, but also about its insufficient quantity. The main factor that helped avoiding a point of critical malnutrition for asylum seekers remained the high rate of absconding and abandonment of the procedure, which in 2024 was 47% of all cases.
The access of asylum seekers to repeated and specialized healthcare and medical treatment remained impeded due to the country’s fundamental shortage of general practitioners. Therefore, medical care of asylum seekers was mainly carried out in the surgeries organised in Sofia and Harmanli reception centres, with a total of 18,189 initial medical examinations and 7,038 outpatient examinations conducted in 2024,[10] provided in reception centres by 4 doctors, 1 paramedic and 4 nurses. Even though asylum seekers are health insured, due to its budget restraints SAR fail to meet the medical expenses, which are not covered by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). These costs as well as those for prescribed medicines, lab tests or other medical interventions which are not covered in the health care package, as well as for purchase of baby formula, diapers and other personal hygiene products were provided by UNHCR, UNICEF and the Red Cross.[11]
Throughout the whole 2024 the most serious concern relating national reception conditions remained the safety and security of asylum seekers accommodated in reception centres. They continued to be seriously compromised due to the presence of smugglers, drug dealers and sex workers who had access to all reception centres during the night hours without any interference from the private security guards. The SAR received many public disorder complaints during 2024 both in Sofia and Harmanli, which escalated in public demonstrations and committees requesting the reception facilities to be either closed, or turned to closed-type centres.[12] In 2022[13] and 2023[14], a non-governmental organisation continued raising concerns regarding safety of reception centres and asylum seekers accommodated in. Starting from mid-2022, the SAR submitted several requests to the Ministry of Interior[15],[16] to engage the police in guarding of the reception centres, but it was not before the end of 2023 when MOI initiated a procedure,[17] to investigate the possibility for SAR reception centres to be guarded by the national police and gendarmerie. In April 2024 additional amendments to the law were made[18], but it was not before 31 January 2025 when the MOI finally took over the guarding of the reception centres of the SAR, staring with Sofia and Harmanli ones. This major change is expected to seriously improve the safety and security of asylum seekers who are accommodated in the reception centres during their procedure.
Some level of standardisation has taken place in the intake and registration procedure in reception centres. There is a basic database of residents in place, which is updated daily. However, there is an ongoing competition among asylum seekers to be accommodated in premises/rooms found to be in a better condition than others, thus corruption among SAR staff, who deals with accommodation issues, is widespread. For example, throughout 2023 and 2024 the BHC office in Harmanli and Sofia reception centres received accounts from asylum seekers that SAR employees continued to collect money from asylum seekers for different ‘services’, e.g. changing the room with one in better condition, accelerating the decision-making, etc.
The law does not limit the length of asylum seekers’ stay in a reception centre. Asylum seekers can remain in reception centres pending the appeal procedure against a negative decision.[19] In December 2024, the SAR reported to have its reception occupancy at 49%, i.e. 1,579 occupants out of 3,225 available places,[20] compared to 2,736 at the end of 2023; 2,412 occupants at the end of 2022; 2,447 occupants at the end of 2021; 1,032 occupants at the end of 2020, and 461 occupants at the end of 2019.
[1] See, AIDA Country Updates on Bulgaria: Forth Update from October 2015, 2016 Update from February 2017, 2017 Update from February 2018, 2018 Update from January 2019, 2019 Update from February 2020, 202 Update from February 2021 and 2021 Update from February 2022.
[2] 118th Coordination meeting held on 22 December 2022.
[3] SAR reg. №АД-07-7 from 14 January 2025.
[4] SAR reg. №АД-07-47 from 9 December 2024.
[5] SAR reg.№ЦУ-РД05-123/27.02.2024.
[6] 129th Coordination meeting, 9 May 2024.
[7] SAR reg. №АД-07-7 from 14 January 2025: 91 disinfections in total, of which 12 in Ovcha Kupel, 13 in Voenna Rampa, 29 in Vrazhdebna, 12 in Harmanli, 13 in Banya and 12 in Pastrogor.
[8] National Statistical Institute, Annual inflation rates: +2.2% in 2024; +9.5% in 2023; and +17% in 2022, available in Bulgarian here.
[9] SAR, Order No 31-310, 31 March 2015, issued by the Chairperson Nikola Kazakov.
[10] SAR reg. №АД-07-7 from 14 January 2025.
[11] Ibid.
[12] DW, ‘След побоя в София: спусъкът с “Мигранти вън!’, 11 March 2024, available in Bulgarian here; 24 Hours, ‘Рехав протест против бежанците се проведе в София, 31 March 2024, available in Bulgarian here; BTV, Протест срещу бежанците в Харманли: Хората настояват те да бъдат преместени извън града, 22 march 2024, available in Bulgarian here; BNR, Жители на Харманли отново протестираха срещу бежанския център, 6 April 2024, available in Bulgarian here.
[13] Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, reg.No.Б-67 from 4 August 2022.
[14] Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, reg.No.Б-88 from 18 September 2023.
[15] SAR, reg. No. №РД05-31 from 15 January 2024.
[16] SAR reg. №АД-07-7 from 14 January 2025.
[17] 127th Coordination meeting, held on 28 December 2023.
[18] Article 14, para 5 of the Law on Ministry of Interior, St.G. №33 from 12 April 2024.
[19] Article 29(4)-(9) LAR.
[20] 134th Coordination meeting held on 19 December 2024.