The refugee centre in "Ovcha Kupel" will be closed

There is no increased migration pressure, assured outgoing Minister of Interior, Kalin Stoyanov, at a hearing in Parliament on the clashes involving migrants last week on "Vitosha" Boulevard in downtown Sofia, the accommodation centre in "Ovcha Kupel" and the attack on foreign students.

He and Mariana Tosheva, the head of the State Agency for Refugees, answered questions regarding recent incidents with migrants during a hearing in Parliament on March 13, at the request of "Vazrazhdane" and BSP for Bulgaria'

Mariana Tosheva explained that the centre in “Ovcha Kupel” will be closed in stages, with the transfer of some of the migrants to other centres, starting as early as next week. The topic was an occasion for the opposition to accuse the government of deliberately neglecting the problem.

She disagreed that there was an escalation of violence in the accommodation facilities. She explained that the agency experiences shortage of staff and funding and prefers security from the Ministry of Interior.

Mariana Tosheva said that the incident of domestic nature that went outside the centre in “Ovcha Kupel” was also due to overcrowding and the fact that the security guards from the private company selected through a public tender are around 70 years of age. The idea is to close the centre in “Ovcha Kupel” because it is very depreciated, and the people in it will be tranfered to other centres.

"This is the oldest centre, as I have already said. It is 30 years old and it is extremely depreciated and we are doing everything possible to close it. Arrangements are being made for 30 persons to go to our reception centre in Banya as early as this week," Mariana Tosheva said.

During the hearing, the outgoing Minister of Interior and the BSP leader exchanged sharp retorts over a discrepancy in the number of migrants detained since the beginning of the year.

"Detentions in the interior of the country since the beginning of the year so far are 260, while for the same period last year they were 1,260. These figures very eloquently show that we are tackling the migration pressure," Kalin Stoyanov said.

BSP leader, Kornelia Ninova, accused Stoyanov of hiding 136 cases, referring to an official report from the Ministry of Interior to Parliament.

"I suggest that from this moment until the end of the hearing, and until the end of the minister's stay in the Ministry of Interior, you do not believe a single word he says," she said.

A total of 396 third-country nationals were detained in January alone.

“Vazrazhdane” were indignant that the refugee centres do not have reliable control of entries and exits and lack adequate security and video surveillance.

"Every month we pay 395 BGN for the maintenance of each illegal migrant. Are we, the Bulgarian citizens, going to pay 400 BGN a month to be afraid, to watch beatings?" asked Petar Petrov of "Vazrazhdane".

“We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” accused the opposition of scaring people:

"The issue of 'migrants, criminals and refugee crisis' is a favourite of the Kremlin not only here, but across Europe. Let's face facts. There is no crisis with an unprecedented flow of migrants," said Iskren Mitev.

“There is Such a People” were outraged that the government is neglecting the problem.

"All of you in power are explaining to us how there are no problems with migrants, that the fears that people have are unfounded, absurd and even false and how everyone, who pays attention to them, serves the Kremlin."

GERB admitted that there is a problem and that is why they, together with MRF, have submitted a proposal to increase the number of full-time police officers at the border and that the security of refugee centres should be conducted by the Ministry of Interior.

"The fact is it is neither calm near the centres nor in the centres. Neither for the employees, nor for the citizens, nor for the migrants themselves", said Manuil Manev - GERB-UDF.

Only MRF did not join the debate.