Bulgaria: Govt owns only 33,000 places to accommodate Ukraine refugees

As per a recent report, a total of 60,000 Ukraine refugees taking shelter in the European country of Bulgaria will have to leave hotels on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast.  

To date, a total of 120,000 Ukrainian nationals registered themselves for temporary health protection in Bulgaria, of which nearly 60,000 were provided accommodation in hotels in seaside resorts. For this, the Government of Bulgaria paid a subsidiary amount of €20 per day to the hoteliers. 

Meanwhile, the head of the State Agency for Refugees, Mariana Tosheva speaking on the matter, stated that it would be difficult to accommodate all the Ukrainian refugees during the summer season as there are only 33,000 places (hotels) which are owned by the Bulgarian government, adding that there will be a requirement of finding an alternative place for them.  

Tosheva asserted, “The worst backup option is to utilise sports facilities and temporary reception centres with extra beds“.   

In addition, the Ukrainian refugees who have been granted temporary health protection will be provided with health insurance for a time period of at least three months, as per discussed by the Council of Ministers. On the other hand, the Ukrainian nationals who have managed to obtain jobs in the Balkan state will also be receiving monetary support for their rent. 

More than 6 million Ukrainian refugees have fled the country since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, which is on February 24, 2022. 

The dispute was also between the coalition government of Bulgaria in terms of supplying arms or weaponry support to the war-hit country. Earlier this week, Ukraine President Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy penned a letter to the Bulgarian parliament stating six requests for providing assistance to the country during the ongoing war with Russia. 

On the other hand, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov’s administration has pledged to provide every possible assistance they can to Ukraine. Not only Bulgaria but several other states, including international organisations, came forward and provided support to Ukraine.