Donations for Refugees in Bulgaria Become Trash Piles

The yard of a Bulgarian refugee shelter resembles a landfill after three truckloads of donations from local muftis have been dumped there. Photo Nova TV

A large number of clothes donated to the refugee shelter in the Bulgarian town of Pastrogor, near the Turkish border, ended unneeded and turned into piles of trash.

Nova TV reports that the yard of the shelter resembles a landfill after three truckloads of donations from local muftis have been dumped there. The refugees have taken only the food items and left the clothes.

Two of them are quoted in saying they only wanted asylum status, not clothes, and that people took what they needed, but the garments were too many.

The management of the shelter says they have no idea what they will do with the donations, adding they wish to give them to other people in need, but have no available transport.

The muftis have refused to take the clothes back.

Bulgaria has seen an increased influx of refugees over the Syrian conflict as it is the gateway to the European Union for them via Turkey, many crossing the border illegally to seek asylum.

The country has a capacity to accommodate about 5 000, while some 6 000 refugees have arrived in the country since the beginning of 2013, with local authorities expecting the number to exceed 11 000 by the end of the year.

Conditions in shelters are largely reported as deplorable.

Bulgaria has asked for EU aid in order to deal with the ongoing refugee wave.

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