Bulgaria: Crowded camps push Syrian refugees to limit

Bulgaria: Crowded camps push Syrian refugees to limit

Hundreds of Syrian refugees from the Lesovo refugee camp on the Turkish-Bulgarian border upset with living conditions on the camp have been on a hunger strike for several days. The camp currently contains around 300 refugees, though it was designed for 300.

According to the state authorities, every day between 40 and 60 Syrians illegally cross the Bulgarian border. Most refugees travel about three weeks to reach the border, where after a 24-hour mandatory stay at Elhovo, located near Lesovo, those who apply for asylum in Bulgaria are brought to one of several UN refugee camps in Pastrogor, Nova Zagora and Sofia. Refugees cannot exit Bulgaria during the asylum application procedure. Some refugees who have tried to leave the country have ended up in prison, as crossing the border illegally is a criminal act. Currently, the asylum procedure takes about a year.

Bulgaria currently hosts around 1,400 Syrian refugees, though the Bulgarian government recently announced it is expecting as many as 10,000 refugees. The government is expected to set up at least two more buildings for refugees since camps are already filled beyond capacity.