site.btaSwiss Delegation Visits Harmanli Refugee Camp

Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov believes that Bulgaria should stay prepared and maintain a sustainable capacity to receive refugees, although migratory pressure has eased. In light of the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, the country should invest in new refugee centres, in enhancing administrative capacity and revamping the reception system, he urged. “We will build a well-working, humane and predictable system meeting European standards and matching our responsibility to asylum seekers,” Zafirov said, as quoted by the press office of the Bulgarian Socialist Party on Wednesday.

Zafirov accompanied Swiss government officials on a visit to Bulgaria’s largest refugee camp, the Harmanli Registration and Reception Centre, which is the first arrival point in this country for refugees crossing through Turkiye from different parts of the world.

The delegation included Beat Jans, Head of Switzerland’s Federal Department of Justice and Police, Raymund Furrer, Ambassador of Switzerland to Bulgaria, and Markus Peek of the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration. On the Bulgarian side, the visiting party comprised Deputy Interior Minister Filip Popov and State Agency for Refugees Chair Mariana Tosheva.

Zafirov said the Harmanli Centre is functioning with great difficulty. Its buildings are worn out, it is seriously understaffed, and its resources are limited, which creates risks for the resilience of the system, he said, calling for urgent rehabilitation and renovation of the facilities.

Despite the limitations, the Safe Zone for unaccompanied refugee children, created here in 2024 with the support of the Swiss Embassy, has set a positive example. It provides protection, specialized care and round-the-clock security. “This is a model which should be built upon and applied in other centres,” Zafirov said.

Commenting on public protests in recent years against the existence of the Harmanli Centre, the Deputy Prime Minister said: “We are aware of the public moods. We will work for open dialogue with the local communities and will try to communicate the government policy more clearly.”