Police Detain 78 Illegal Immigrants at Sofia-based Hostel

Police have detained 78 illegal immigrants in an operation at a hostel in downtown Sofia.

The illegal immigrants, Iraqi and Afghanistan nationals, were detained in a joint operation of the Sofia Directorate of the Ministry of Interior and Border Police, according to reports of the Bulgarian National Television.

Some 10 illegal immigrants were sharing one room.

They had entered Bulgaria illegally from Turkey, seeking to reach Western Europe.

They had paid EUR 2000 each to a man from Istanbul to be taken across the Bulgarian-Turkish border.

After being detained by the Bulgarian authorities, the illegal immigrants were taken to the closed-type migrant accommodation center in Busmantsi.

None of the illegal immigrants has filed an application for humanitarian or refugee status yet, according to reports of mediapool.bg.

If the illegal immigrants apply for humanitarian or refugee status, they will avoid expulsion.

Meanwhile, the people living in the buildings near the Sofia-based hostel launched a petition to shut it down due to the loud noise.

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