Aftermath of war

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in collaboration with partners, is launching today the Compass Bulgaria Network of Protection and Inclusion Centres, a joint initiative in six refugee-hosting cities in Bulgaria spanning Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas, Varna, Dobrich, and Ruse.

Ukraine is just beginning to understand the lasting effects of the traumas its prisoners of war experienced in Russian captivity

Attacks against migrants, refugees and LGBT people in Greece surged to their highest level in nearly a decade last year, a report by the Athens-based Racist Violence Recording Network (RVRN) has found.

The network recorded 158 attacks in 2023, up from 74 in 2022. Of those, 89 targeted migrants, refugees or asylum seekers and 61 targeted LGBT people, it said.

A week after Cyprus suspended the processing of asylum applications from Syrians due to a sharp increase in arrivals, the president of the Mediterranean island, Nikos Christodoulides, warned that the EU country cannot accommodate more refugees from the war-torn country.

In a decisive move, the Bulgarian Parliament has approved a measure to bolster security at all centers for migrants and refugees under the jurisdiction of the State Agency for Refugees. The decision, reached in the second reading, signifies a concerted effort to enhance safety and stability amidst growing concerns over incidents involving foreign citizens.

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.

Demand for the immediate signing of a Special Repatriation Agreement

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is scheduled to meet with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, on Monday at 5 p.m. at Maximos Mansion.

The meeting comes amidst humanitarian concerns regarding Israel's full-scale military operations in Gaza.

As humanitarian support to refugees from Ukraine enters its third year, 19 humanitarian organizations and the UN in Bulgaria are appealing for US$ 38.6 million to support 70,000 refugees from Ukraine in Bulgaria in 2024.

In a move aligned with the European Commission's decision, the Council of Ministers announced the extension of temporary protection for displaced Ukrainians on Bulgarian soil. The extension, effective from March 4, 2024, spans a year, reflecting the ongoing commitment to support refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.