Asylum Bulgaria

05/01/2014

"EU Member States should not return asylum-seekers to Bulgaria even if it is the first country of entry." Under the EU regulation the first country of entry is responsible for the determination of their status. http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/bulgaria-shamed-over-asylum-seekers-2014-01-03

Amnesty International welcomes the position of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees calling on European Union member states to halt transfers of asylum-seekers back to Bulgaria until April 2014.

04/01/2014

Two illegal migrants rescued near Bulgaria’s Varna
04 January 2014 | 13:36 | Asylum Bulgaria
Home / Bulgaria

Varna. Two illegal migrants were found in a deplorable state this morning close to the coastal city of Varna, the press office of the Interior Ministry informed.
The authorities received a signal over the presence of the two men a little after 10 a.m. They suffered damages to the skin due to freezing and were admitted to hospital.
They said they were Syrian nationals.
One of them was found on a coast and the other – on some rocks in the sea.
The authorities are working to establish how they actually came to Bulgaria.

22/12/2013

Working Group to Monitor Bulgaria's Spending of Refugee Aid.

A working group created through an ordinance of Bulgaria's Interior Minister will contribute to the efficient and transparent use of financial aid for refugees. In a Saturday interview, Interior Minister Tsvetlin Yovchev made clear that the working group would not be in charge of making concrete dec...

19/12/2013

Protection status in Bulgaria:

- a refuge (given by the President to persons who are persecuted because of their political activity)
- temporary protection (given by the government to groups of people who are fleeing their country because of an armed conflict, massive violation of the human rights in their country, civil war, etc.)
- refugee status (given by the State Agency for Refugees)
- humanitarian status (given by the State Agency for Refugees)

After crossing the border:

Until the State Agency for Refugees registers you as an asylum seeker, you are going to be treated as an „illegal” person. According to Article 279(5) of the criminal law in Bulgaria, asylum seekers are PROTECTED from criminal prosecution when crossing the borders without permission!!!

11/12/2013

http://www.balkaneu.com/authorities-skopje-worried-growing-number-asylum-seekers/

From Skopje for Independent Balkan News Agency, Naser Pajaziti Skopje, December 6, 2013 Authorities in Skopje are concerned about the

07/12/2013

Asylum seekers should be treated in a better way!

Bulgarian police used batons to put down a protest by Algerians at a temporary refugee centre in the town of Lyubimets on November 30, the Interior Ministry in Sofia has confirmed. Confirmation of ...

04/12/2013

Bulgaria is a member of the European Union. Currently there are 27 member states in the EU: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom.

The asylum policy of those 27 member states is heavily coordinated. That means if you apply for an asylum in one member state each one of them is going to be informed about your application. The Dublin 2 Regulation means that every member state can decide to deport you back to Bulgaria if you have been first registered here. For more info see:

Nevertheless, the asylum procedures are different in those 27 countries. They can last different periods of time.

Most important, the right to asylum is a universal right. It belongs to everybody. Usually, in each member state there are local groups, sometimes very small, who support asylum seekers and organize political work in solidarity with them.