The New Face of Sofia’s Vrazhdebna Refugee Center

The refugee reception center in Sofia’s Vrazhdebna district opened doors in September 2013, on the premises of an old abandoned school.

Just weeks after it started functioning, the Vrazhdebna center was filled with 475 asylum seekers, while its capacity is for 320. The media showed appalling conditions, with as many as 21 people crammed into a single room. There was a shortage of food, as the Bulgarian government was struggling to cope on a national level with the steady wave of refugees entering the country as a result of the Syrian crisis.

This is how a room and a playground for children looked like, back in October.

Seven months later, I visit Vrazhdebna. I am welcomed by the head of the center, Colonel Ivan Penkov. He takes me on a tour around the building.

An overhaul of the center began on February 20. It was funded 80% by the European Refugee Fund and 20% from the national budget, amounting to some BGN 2 million. By April 30, the core of the repair work was completed. There are still several workers laying the finishing touches here and there.

The facade of the building is completely repainted, in warm yellow and pink colors. New doors and window frames are installed. I enter a former classroom, which is now equipped with brand new chairs and desks. This is where the refugees take Bulgarian language lessons and participate in other integration activities.

The adjacent room is a kindergarten. Of the 68 refugees currently residing in Vrazhdebna, 26 are children. It is still morning and the activities have not started, but the chairs and tables are neatly ordered. I see drawings made by the kids yesterday. Mr. Penkov tells me that they are very artistic, and also love to sing and dance. They have also made friends...