site.btaReception Conditions for Asylum-seekers in Bulgaria Are Partially Improved - Amnesty International Report

Reception Conditions for Asylum-seekers in Bulgaria Are Partially Improved - Amnesty International Report

London, February 25 (BTA) - The reception conditions for
asylum-seekers entering Bulgaria partially improved but concerns
 remained over access to Bulgarian territory and the integration
 of refugees. Prevention and investigation of hate crimes by the
 authorities was inadequate, Amnesty International's Annual
Report 2014/15 on the state of the world's human rights says.
The report is published on the organisation's website.
   
The report covers the development of the situation involving
refugees heading for Bulgaria. The number of refugees and
migrants dropped dramatically in 2014, as a result of a
government policy adopted in November 2013 that aimed to
decrease the number of people irregularly entering Bulgaria. A
number of NGOs, including Amnesty International, documented
violations including unlawful expulsions of people back to
Turkey (push-backs) without giving them a chance to seek asylum,
 which the authorities strenuously denied. An official
investigation was initiated only in one such case.

Recognized refugees faced problems in accessing education,
housing, health care and other public services.

A prominent human rights NGO, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
(BHC), faced a tax inspection as well as harassment by far right
 groups.

Concerns remained regarding the effectiveness and independence
of investigations into allegations of police ill-treatment.

Between July and September, Amnesty International researched 16
cases of alleged hate crimes against individuals and properties.
 The hate motive was investigated only in one of them.
 
Legislative gaps regarding hate crimes on other protected
grounds, such as sexual orientation, gender identity or
disability, persisted, the report says.