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500 people protested near a migrant camp in Bulgaria

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Bulgaria, Sofia – A few days ago, 500 people did a static protestation against a migrant camp in Sofia. Bulgarians are asking for security as 93 per cent of the migrant camps are full in the country and violence is increasing.

This event comes after 800 migrants were involved in a fight in the camp of Harmanli, Southern Bulgaria. The fight occurred between two huge groups of migrants, one composed by Afghans and the other by Iraqis, that were joined by Syrians. At the end of August there were 1,000 migrants in the camp, that is five times more than the number in June. Also there is a plan to expand the center to open room for 400 more migrants.

A few days after, 200 Bulgarians of Harmanli protested for a stricter control of the migrants and also to turn the camp into a closed type. “I am really scared. I think all those young men [most camp inmates are Afghans aged 18 to 30] should not be allowed out of the camp – and police controls should increased,” Tonka, a Harmanli local said.

In Sofia, lessons are given to migrants “to explain to them, constantly hold talks, explain to them that they are in another cultural environment, what should be respected, what is an offence, what is a crime,” State Agency for Refugees head Petya Purvanova said.

Bulgaria just got € 160 million of financial support to secure better her border with Turkey thanks to the support of the V4 at the Bratislava Summit.