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Deported from Germany to Bulgaria
The main respondent is a 31-year-old man from Syria.He arrived in Bulgaria in late November 2024 with a group of people. He turned himself in at a police station near the border (Malko Tarnovo?). They took his fingerprints and conducted some questioning. He states that he was forced to apply for asylum and felt he had no choice. Subsequently, he was taken to the closed camp near Harmanli (Lyubimets). They stayed there for approximately 13 days, after which the respondent was taken to Sofia. In Sofia, he was then moved to an open camp – ‘Vrazhdebna’. After 5 days, the respondent fled Bulgaria and arrived in Germany two weeks later.
Lubyimets detention centre, where the respondent was detained 13 days
Upon arriving in Germany, he handed himself in at the first police station he saw, as part of a group. They were interrogated there. During this interrogation, he was asked if he had been ‘fingerprinted’ (registered as an asylum seeker elsewhere). He was the only person in the group who admitted to this, after being convinced by the translator who told him it would be better for him as they would find out anyway. He said he was then taken to a detention centre in Bavaria (Einrichtung für Abschiebehaft Hof) and spent 43 days in a cell, which he described as feeling like prison. Those in his group who did not disclose prior fingerprinting were taken to an open camp instead.He states, “It was a difficult situation. They only gave us one meal. We had no food.”
After 43 days, he describes being put on a plane and deported back to Bulgaria. He recounts that there were around 20 people on the plane, including some translators and doctors. He noted that all the deportees had paperwork with them. Upon arrival in Sofia, they were taken off the plane and handed over to the Bulgarian police, who checked their documents, placed them in a car, and returned them to Vrazhdebna camp.
After 43 days, he describes being put on a plane and deported back to Bulgaria. He recounts that there were around 20 people on the plane, including some translators and doctors. He noted that all the deportees had paperwork with them. Upon arrival in Sofia, they were taken off the plane and handed over to the Bulgarian police, who checked their documents, placed them in a car, and returned them to Vrazhdebna camp.
Einrichtung für Abschiebehaft Hof Detention Centre, where he was detained 43 days
The respondent was given paperwork to sign with a translator present, and all documents were signed. The respondent said that nobody had tried to persuade him to return to Syria, but they had offered him the choice between returning to Syria or applying for asylum in Bulgaria, which he felt was pressure as he had no other option than staying in Bulgaria.He explained that he experienced racism from the employees in the camp. He described trying to speak to one employee to ask for the document/card needed by residents to enter the restaurant and get food. He reports that she said because he had ‘run away from our camp’ and ‘gone to another European country,’ he could not simply return and eat their food. He said this conversation repeated for several days, with the employee refusing to give him the card, resulting in him not eating for several days.
After several days, he reports that the situation escalated. The respondent tried to write down her name, stating he would make a complaint about her actions. He reports that she told him he could do whatever he wanted because nobody would listen. The respondent asked NNK if he would be harmed if he made a complaint.He described that there was one doctor in the camp, in his 70s or 80s, who only provided painkillers and did not conduct any examinations.He stated that none of the staff at the camp offered any support to the residents.
He also described that from the beginning of February, there was no heating or warm water in the camp (approximately a month at the time of this testimony). He described the lack of opportunities to access education or language courses in the camp, and that residents had repeatedly asked both the camp administration and visiting NGOs about this, but their requests had been refused, or they were simply told that it would be ‘looked into’ with no further action taken. Prior to February (2025), he describes that the conditions in the camp were not as bad, but recently more individuals have entered the camp whom the respondent believes are police officers. He suspects that they have replaced the security guards with local police. These individuals have been rough, confiscating cigarettes and cooking equipment from the residents and aggressively shouting at them in Bulgarian, which the residents do not understand.
The respondent states that his goal was always to go to Germany and he still does not want to stay in Bulgaria because he sees no opportunities there. At the time of the testimony, he was still awaiting a response to his asylum claim.
After several days, he reports that the situation escalated. The respondent tried to write down her name, stating he would make a complaint about her actions. He reports that she told him he could do whatever he wanted because nobody would listen. The respondent asked NNK if he would be harmed if he made a complaint.He described that there was one doctor in the camp, in his 70s or 80s, who only provided painkillers and did not conduct any examinations.He stated that none of the staff at the camp offered any support to the residents.
He also described that from the beginning of February, there was no heating or warm water in the camp (approximately a month at the time of this testimony). He described the lack of opportunities to access education or language courses in the camp, and that residents had repeatedly asked both the camp administration and visiting NGOs about this, but their requests had been refused, or they were simply told that it would be ‘looked into’ with no further action taken. Prior to February (2025), he describes that the conditions in the camp were not as bad, but recently more individuals have entered the camp whom the respondent believes are police officers. He suspects that they have replaced the security guards with local police. These individuals have been rough, confiscating cigarettes and cooking equipment from the residents and aggressively shouting at them in Bulgarian, which the residents do not understand.
The respondent states that his goal was always to go to Germany and he still does not want to stay in Bulgaria because he sees no opportunities there. At the time of the testimony, he was still awaiting a response to his asylum claim.
Vrazhdebna camp, where the respondent was taken after deportation to Bulgaria
