On the Balkan route
It happens in areas bordering with Turkey, where militias formed by violent men persecute refugees treating them as animals. The outcomes of punitive expeditions on Facebook. The police are wavering, the debate hit the news. Caritas’ firm condemnation
They are young, corpulent, men. They live in areas near the Bulgarian-Turkish border. They describe themselves as “patriots”, “defenders of their Country”, “protectors of Bulgarian women and children.” Migrants are their declared enemies. Armed with guns, machetes, knives, canes and portable radios, wearing camouflage jackets and combat boots, the members of the self-proclaimed “militias” reach the border with quads, jeeps and even armoured vehicles, with the purpose of hunting the refugees. They arrange to meet on Facebook and, once the “raid” is over, the video of their undertaking is shared online, to inspire other “patriotic” followers
“Face to the ground or I will kill you.” The most famous boss of the popular militia is Dinko Valev, a thirty-year-old man, he sells second-hand spare parts for buses. “A man suddenly came out of the bush”: thus begins the account of one of his expeditions. He is speaking about a Syrian refugee, which Dinko describes as aggressive, and for this reason he decided to immediately strike two or three heavy blows. The other migrants of the group came to help: eleven men, three women and a child. In the video we see the “militia” forcing them to lie down facing the floor, then they tying their hands while the boss threatens: “If you don’t all face the ground one of you will be killed.” Some of the refugees are shown bleeding, the others are terrorized while Dinko observes them with satisfaction. In his opinion, migrant-hunting should be regulated and promoted also with a “25 thousand euro prize for every captured migrant.” At the beginning of the week he uploaded another video showing an attack against a 16-year-old Roma, savagely beaten for no reason, although a few minutes earlier he was smiling to his aggressor.
People approve, authorities are “wavering.” The popular militia received great media coverage. Suddenly Dinko Valev became almost a celebrity while on TV studios debates focused on whether it was right to persecute migrants. A survey by Alfa Research shows that 54% of Bulgarians “approves illegal arrests of refugees”, some 25% said that “don’t fully approve this practice” while only 18% of respondents expressed their firm condemnation t. The militia phenomenon was initially applauded even by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who publically thanked “whoever will help law enforcement agents patrol the borders.” At a later stage the Premier apologized, “since any action must comply with the law, avoiding the use of force.” Interior Ministry Rumyana Batchvarova expressed a firm condemnation: “It’s not normal to go to the border with quads and hunt human beings. Migrants are not game.” The Prosecutor’s office has started to investigate cases of illegal detention and some of those responsible were arrested. It was also discovered that after beating and threatening the migrants the militia activists robbed them of all their belongings.
Abandoned in the snow. Human rights associations have reported on many occasions that migrants push-back activity is taking place on the Bulgarian borders, and sometimes the border guards – they denounced – rob the refugees’ assets. It’s the story of the Iraqi Faradj family: two siblings were beaten up by Bulgarian agents and abandoned in the snow in front of their wives and children. The men and one of the mothers died in the hospital leaving four orphaned children who are currently staying in one of the refugee camps in Bulgaria with another woman who survived the attack.
The condemnation of Caritas. Caritas Bulgaria firmly condemned the illegal arrests of migrants: “this behaviour is inhuman” – Caritas wrote – it’s inadmissible that a local association takes over institutional roles.” “These are isolated episodes,” commented Ivan Cheresharov, Migrants coordinator for Caritas Sophia;
“we operate on border zones and local inhabitants nurture no form of hostility against the refugees.”
“The ‘predators’ are outsiders – he added – who think they can solve the situation by force. They hate migrants as well as all diversities and whoever doesn’t suit them.” “However, Bulgarians are afraid – he pointed out – they can’t make ends meet. This is true especially in smaller towns, where the State is practically absent.” Cheresharov added: “That’s why nationalists exploit the situation and create unnecessary social alarm. The truth is that very few have seen a refugee in real life”, he concluded.
