Bulgarian Red Cross Receives Refugee Aid from Slovakia

The Chairman of the Bulgarian Red Cross, Hristo Grigorov, photo BGNES

The Bulgarian Red Cross has received EUR 100 000 from Slovakia as refugee crisis aid.

The assistance has been negotiated during the visit of Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev in Slovakia, while the funds have already been transferred to the Red Cross account.

The Slovakian Ambassador to Bulgaria H.E. Marian Jakubocy has arrived at the headquarters of the Bulgarian Red Cross, on the invitation of its Chairman Hristo Grigorov.

Grigorov has extended deep gratitude to the Republic of Slovakia and has handed to the Ambassador a diploma on the occasion of the 135th anniversary of the organization.

Slovakia has already provided a total of EUR 30 000 in humanitarian aid for the Syrian refugees based in Bulgaria.

Some 260 camp-beds, as well as blankets and kitchen utensils for Bulgaria-based refugees arrived from Slovakia in October.

Albeit small on global standards - some 10 000 refugees are currently in the country - the migration wave is unprecedented for Bulgaria as it has the capacity to accommodate about 5 000.

The country is the gateway to the European Union for refugees fleeing Syria via Turkey, many crossing the border illegally. It has shown both the lack of preparedness of state institutions to accommodate the refugees, as well as the latent xenophobia of parts of Bulgarian societies.

Interior Minister Tsvetlin Yovchev proposed a plan for reducing the number of illegal immigrants as along with asylum seekers from Syria, a large number of people from North Africa and the Middle East also cross the southern border with Turkey. The plan includes deportation of the latter. There is also a draft Bill on the issue with the refugee wave and another plan to build a fence on the Turkish border.

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