Mariana Tosheva

The process of relocating migrants from the refugee center in Sofia's Ovcha Kupel district has commenced, with the initial group of 30 individuals already transferred. Mariana Tosheva, the head of the State Agency for Refugees, confirmed this development during a session of the municipal council.

In response to the deteriorating conditions at the refugee accommodation center in Sofia's "Ovcha Kupel" district, the State Agency for Refugees under the Council of Ministers has announced a phased redistribution plan.

Petar Todorov, the former Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has issued a stark warning regarding the anticipated increase in migrant pressure on Bulgaria starting next month.

Proposals for changes to the Asylum and Refugee Act, concerning Bulgaria's accession to the Schengen zone, are now available for public feedback on the Council of Ministers' Public Consultation Portal.

Mariana Tosheva, the head of the State Agency for Refugees, has urged an increase in reception center capacity amid escalating EU migration. Tosheva highlighted the urgency to expand the existing capacity from 3,600 to 5,000 places in response to the mounting influx of migrants.

Head of the State Agency for Refugees, Mariana Tosheva, disclosed that 590 refugees were repatriated to Bulgaria from various EU nations in 2023. She highlighted the challenge of managing return procedures under the Dublin Regulation, emphasizing the complexity of the migration flow.

Most of the Ukrainian refugees refused to enter the wagons located in the temporary distribution centers due to the conditions in them and stayed for hours in the buses.

"Organization - zero, information - zero. Nothing! We got off the bus and they left us," said one of the refugees.

The four additional cars from the train, which left Varna for Sofia at 10.30 a.m., also disembarked. Only five refugees boarded the high-speed train, with about 200 remaining at the last minute. They had to be moved to the governmental resorts in Panichishte and Ribaritsa.

More than 23,000 beds in accommodations registered with the National Tourist Register have already been included in the new humanitarian program for the accommodation of Ukrainian refugees. In just two days, the percentage of applicants from hotels who have currently accommodated people with temporary protection has increased from 30 to 50%.

"297,000 Ukrainian citizens have entered Bulgaria, about 100,000 people are still on Bulgarian territory," Mariana Tosheva, chairwoman of the State Agency for Refugees, told BNT.

According to her, this is a completely normal ratio compared to other European countries. The last ten days have seen a trend of entry and exit in Ukraine.