An action to remove 101 illegal buildings near the Stara Zagora “Lozenets” quarter is underway. In the months before it, 14 buildings were voluntarily removed; another 30 are awaiting a court decision under an appeal procedure. A total of 450 illegal Roma buildings in and near the quarter have been removed in recent years.
Two articles about a dead baby, around one and a half month old in Burgas, Bulgaria. His parents – aged 19 and 23 – have been detained by the police to clarify the case. Both are of Roma origin.
Sad story, but why indicate that the parents are Roma?
The Stara Zagora municipality in Bulgaria has started the demolition of more than a hundred “illegal” Roma houses. According to the municipality, there was no way that these houses could be regularised. A few families have apparently accepted the offers for municipal housing, but most have not.
Bad.
Roma in Bulgaria are pushing back against discrimination with several legal actions.
Good!
On a reality show on Bulgarian TV, called “Wild and Beautiful”, a man asked on a blind date “Would you have a relationship with a man of Roma origin?” It seems that at least some people reacted to this …
Employees of “ViK – Smolyan” in central Bulgaria, together with police teams, carried out a massive inspection in the Roma neighbourhood of Ustovo, known as “Second Kilometre”. The reason was suspicion of illegal connection to the water supply network.
They found illegal connections. On the other hand, as the municipalities refuse to acknowledge the existence of these Roma neighbourhood, their inhabitants have no other means than illegally tap water and electricity.
Bad.
Following an accident where a passenger of a public bus was run over, a specialized police operation is being carried out in the Roma neighbourhoods of Sofia. They will be monitoring whether traffic rules are being followed, and patrols will be deployed at the entrances and exits of the neighbourhoods. Law enforcement officers will collect the data of vehicle drivers and subsequently they will be checked at the schools where they received their driving licenses.
So in brief, when there is an accident, it has to be Roma?
Another article on the school dropouts in the Plovdiv region. Apparently, 430 children dropped out last year, prompting the authorities to increase inspections to a total of 22’000. It turns out that 290 of these children dropped out because they left the country. The 140 other who dropped out, according to the news did so because of a “lack of financial opportunities for inclusion in the education system and of course – early marriages.
They could have dropped the “of course” here…
Murder, torture, cruel treatment or punishment continue to be major human rights violations in Bulgaria. This is stated in the new annual report of the United States on the state of human rights in 2024.
However, the document does not mention corruption, as well as discrimination based on ethnicity and sexual orientation, which remain a serious problem in Bulgaria. The news comes more than a year after the last report on the topic, which pointed to corruption, police violence and discrimination as the main problems in Bulgaria.
Unfortunately, a predictable outcome…
Millionaire heir Borislav Minev, son of the Roma businessman from Parvomay and owner of the Bor Chvor dairy company Dimitar Minev, is wanted by the Ministry of Interior as the mastermind behind the fiery attack at the Bamboo Premium Live club in Sozopol.
On the night of Sunday to Monday, over 350 customers of the night folk bar, mostly teenagers, were urgently evacuated by the security of the establishment due to thick clouds of poisonous smoke spreading, and investigators determined that it was a case of military smoke deliberately ignited in the women’s toilets due to a disco war that broke out in the seaside resort town, writes Weekend.
One of those articles… In the Plovdiv village of Rogosh, the tension between two neighbouring families has reached a critical point. Hristina and Ivan Genkovs contacted our media, claiming that they live in constant stress and fear because of the problems with their neighbours – Ginka and Sasho. According to them, they are of Roma origin, and the problems began several years ago, when Sasho moved into the neighbouring property, and since then there has been almost no peace in the neighbourhood.
In brief, if Roma move in, this is a mess. Bad.
According to the article, due to poverty, migration or early marriages: Over 430 children from Plovdiv region have dropped out of school.
Well a bit further, the article becomes a bit more differentiated: The largest number of children – 290 – dropped out of school due to going abroad. Prof. Hristina Yancheva – regional governor of Plovdiv: “The reasons for dropping out of the education system can be summarized briefly – lack of financial opportunities for inclusion in the education system, migration and of course – early marriages.”
The last point may occur, but there can’t be that many of those …
The labour market situation in the countries of the Western Balkans is bad – the population of Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina is aging.
The other big problem for these countries is migration – many young people of working age emigrate and prefer to build a career in EU countries – for example, in Germany, Austria or Italy. This creates a serious shortage of qualified labour in the Western Balkans.
By 2050, Serbia is expected to lose over 40 percent of its citizens of working age. The situation is similar in neighbouring Bulgaria, where according to UN data, the country will shrink by 23% by 2050. Similar forecasts are made for other countries in the region.
Roma can solve part of these issues in the labour market.
A fire erupted in a poor neighbourhood in Bulgaria. A 49-year-old local resident was detained. An argument broke out between him and the woman he lives with. Then he lit a blanket and caused a fire. The buildings were built of highly flammable materials.
According to the paper this is a fire “with a Roma flavour” … What does that mean, apart from obvious racist views?
An article about a Roma “baron” (which do not exist) in the Bulgarian press. Mihail Shterionov, known by the nickname Pandurito, and a “baron” according to the article shocked Yambol after he appeared with at least 2 kg of gold jewellery in a restaurant where a wedding was apparently taking place.
Bad taste … And bad journalism …
Emil Lambov, Safety Inspector at BDZ-Passenger Transport, explained that throwing stones at moving trains is mainly done by minor children of Roma origin. The situation was so serious that they were considering stopping the movement of trains in certain sections of the region that are problematic.
The chairman of the National Roma Council Petko Asenov said that they have been taking measures in connection with the raids on the railway system for several years now. He pointed out as a positive example the qualification programs that enable young people of Roma origin to find work, including in the BDZ system. Such programs allow young people to be included and to be able to realize themselves, and not to be on the streets and show aggression.
Another one of those articles. Police controlled a fight in the Roma neighbourhood “Gorna Mahala” in Dupnitsa, the Regional Directorate in Kyustendil (Bulgaria)announced.
Two men and two women aged between 30 and 38 were involved. The police team was also aggressed, and the officers’ body camera was damaged.
Representatives of the Roma community accused some of the Bulgarian political elite of reacting unreasonably harshly to situations in which Roma were involved. They cited as an example, statements after the incident in Vidin, in which a 13-year-old boy inflicted moderate bodily harm on another child. According to the Chairman of the National Council of Roma in Bulgaria, Petko Asenov, the reactions of Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov and MEP Angel Dzambazki were deliberately exaggerated and aimed at ethnic hatred. Asenov pointed out that in the case in Vidin “it is a scandal on a domestic basis and all boys of Roma origin cannot be put under a common denominator.”
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) annulled the interim measures on the complaint lodged for the removal and destruction of illegal houses on the Zaharna Fabrika district in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Deputy Mayor of Sofia Municipality, Department of Social Activities and Integration of People with Disabilities, Nadezhda Bacheva stated that this ECHR decision is a direct recognition that it is possible to uphold the rule of law and at the same time act with care and humanity.
Well …
According to estimates, between 60 and 70% placed in institutions in Bulgaria are Roma, although Roma make up just over 10% of the population. Sometimes they end up there with unconvincing arguments. The state does not collect data on any stage of the process, but a study by the Non-Profit Association “Equal Opportunities Initiative” shows that on the one hand, institutions are more likely to remove Roma children from their families, and on the other hand, one of the main risks leading to separation between children and parents – poverty – most often occurs among Roma. The researchers brought together community representatives and organizations working with families at risk in search of solutions.
EN 
DE 
FR