Syrian refugee children in Bulgaria. Katya Yordanova/Demotix. All rights reserved.Over the last few weeks the refugee crisis has reached fever pitch in Europe. Countries on the frontline such as Italy, Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria have found themselves increasingly scrutinised over their policies and practices towards refugees. The crisis has also forced European member states to take a long, hard look at themselves and respond to the calls of both the public and other European leaders to deal with the situation. Bulgaria has been no exception.
The refugee situation in Bulgaria
Over the last two years Bulgaria has seen an influx of refugees from its border with Turkey. As one of the poorest members of the European Union, Bulgaria’s immigration authorities are badly underfunded and underprepared for dealing with refugees.
Up until now Bulgaria has not been the route of choice for refugees travelling from the Middle East via Turkey to Europe. Instead, most choose to travel via Greece and Macedonia and on into western Europe. This is for a number of reasons: the reception of refugees, the conditions in Bulgaria, the implications of the Dublin agreement for those arriving in Bulgaria and the physical practicalities of crossing the border.
