Bordermonitoring: returns to Bulgaria should be halted until dignified treatment of asylum seekers and refugees can be ensured

11 July 2014

In its report Trapped in Europe’s Quagmire: The situation of asylum seekers and refugees in Bulgaria, Bordermonitoring advises against sending asylum seekers to Bulgaria under the Dublin Regulation until the country can ensure dignified treatment of asylum seekers and refugees on its territory. Bordermonitoring stresses that a dignified living for asylum seekers and refugees is still not secured: the limited range of medication in the camps, poor provisions for people with special medical needs, and gaps in the national health-care system lead to insufficient and delayed medical services despite the efforts of volunteers, NGOs and state employees.

The report concludes also with a series of recommendations to the Bulgarian authorities: to immediately investigate and prevent the occurrence of pushbacks and violence at the border; to increase the number of social workers, medical staff, and translators; to provide accommodation to all asylum seekers throughout the asylum procedure as prescribed by the Bulgarian Law for Asylum and Refugees and the Reception Conditions Directive; and to investigate physical attacks against asylum seekers, undocumented migrants, and refugees.

This article originally appeared in the ECRE Weekly Bulletin of 11 July 2014.
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