SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — An international rights organization has called on Bulgaria’s government to stop forcefully reducing the number of asylum seekers in the country.
Human Rights Watch says Bulgaria has been summarily pushing back Syrians, Afghans and others as they cross the border from Turkey. The New York-based group says Tuesday that people have been improperly forced back with no opportunity to lodge asylum claims.
Last year Bulgaria was caught unprepared by a surge of 11,600 refugees, mainly Syrians. To prevent a further massive influx, the government deployed 1,500 more police officers at the Turkish border and began building a fence along a 20-mile stretch.
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