Refugees crossing into Europe tell of abuse at hands of Bulgarian police | Oxfam International

13.11.15

Refugees crossing into Europe tell of abuse at hands of Bulgarian police | Oxfam International: Nikolina Milic of the Belgrade Center for Human Rights said: "People arriving in Serbia have been sharing with us these terrible accounts of abuse they have been experiencing in Bulgaria over the last 5 months. This report will alert the world to what seems to be happening in Bulgaria on a daily basis. The dramatic and shocking ill-treatment of people fleeing conflict and poverty is totally unacceptable, particularly in an EU member state. We are calling for an independent investigation into the incidents in Bulgaria, and we call on the Bulgarian government to condemn these human rights abuses in the strongest terms possible."

Stefano Baldini, Oxfam Director for South East Europe (including Serbia) who commissioned the report, said: "Refugees arriving in Europe must be treated with respect, and they have the right to protection. They should not have to experience brutality and xenophobia. These testimonies present a consistent picture of alleged incidents in Bulgaria. In light of the reported abuses, the European Union has to intervene and take concrete action to protect basic human rights within its borders."