Oxfam confronts EU member Bulgaria over serious refugee complaints

[rooster59]

Oxfam confronts EU member Bulgaria over serious refugee complaints

Oxfam reports that refugees arriving in Europe through Bulgaria are claiming to have been abused by its police.

A survey funded by the international anti-poverty confederation alleges that incidents have taken place both at the Serbian-Bulgarian border and at holding centres in Bulgaria; more than 100 people interviewed, most of them from Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, told of extortion, robbery, physical violence and police dog attacks.

The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Sofia confirms similar accounts.

In Dimitrovgrad, on the Serbian side of the border, refugees are registered and given a 72-hour pass to cross this non-EU country. Most are men and unaccompanied adolescents. Those from Afghanistan have come through Iran, Turkey, and Bulgaria.

Jahanzeb, giving his age as 16, said: “I have faced many difficulties on my way here, and haven’t had a minute of peace. Almost every day I have cried. I have been beaten up. If my mother knew, she would not stop crying. I could not walk for a whole week because my feet were raw and bleeding. Bulgarian policemen stole my shoes.”

Oxfam quoted Nikolina Milic of the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights as saying: “What seems to be happening in [EU member] Bulgaria daily is totally unacceptable.”

Olan Hussein, from Iran, said: “I have been travelling for almost a month and a half. I left Iran for Turkey and then Bulgaria, where I was imprisoned for 18 days. I crossed the border and the Bulgarian police arrested me and put me in a camp that was really a prison. They took my passport — and would not give it back to me.”

The Serbian government provides a daily bus from Dimitrovgrad to Belgrade. From the capital, another bus goes to the Croatian border.

A few days ago, Sofia news agency Novinite carried the headline: Bulgarian President Identifies Refugees as Posing Greatest Threat to National Security.

You can read the Testimony of people arriving in Dimitrovgrad, Serbia from Bulgaria here.

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-11-14

[ezzra]

Oxfam, an agency that has lived past it's due date to be effective any longer, Oxfam become

just another business with bloated payroll and personal that really not worth their payday,

Oxfam become a bias, one sided agency with a sever myopic vision when it comes to be

impartial and just do it's job...the same goes for may other US agencies that started well

but has gone off it's true calling long time ago...

[OMGImInPattaya]

Maybe Oxfam and this Helsinki Committee should investigate the complaints of the 140+ people who lost their human rights today in Paris. Oh that's right, they can't because they're dead. Useless idiots!

[BuaBS]

"my feet were raw and bleeding. Bulgarian policemen stole my shoes"

Yeah smelly , worn out , bloody shoes...I'll bet these pesky Bulgarian policemen stole them.

Those eastern europeans , get more and more respect from me. Protecting their borders & country , not listening to the eurocrats in brussels.

Who knew ?

[attento]

Oxfam - founded 70 years ago to send food to Greece, where the Allies naval blockade was targeting the Nazi occupation. The German Nazis having requisitioned (stolen) much food from the local population, caused a degree of starvation amongst many Greeks.

This "charitable organisation" has grown and extended it's own remit. There are no limits to the amount of "charity" the world requires !

Being a "Charity" means it considers itself above constructive criticism, and labels anyone who questions it's motives and it's internal administration, as anti-humanitarian.

An organisation which sees it's senior staff enjoying high salaries and benefits, on the backs of a large army of local charity workers giving their time and effort for no reward.

Hiring cynical call-centre workers to pester vulnerable people to donate.

Oxfam - such a wonderful organisation. Beyond reproach.

[baboon]

If I was the head of Oxfam I would be instructing the spokespeople to start keeping a very low profile for the foreseeable. I know the attacks in Paris were not the work of refugees, but I doubt the people of Europe particularly give a crap about differentiating at the moment.

[bangon04]

Oxfam, an agency that has lived past it's due date to be effective any longer, Oxfam become

just another business with bloated payroll and personal that really not worth their payday,

Oxfam become a bias, one sided agency with a sever myopic vision when it comes to be

impartial and just do it's job...the same goes for may other US agencies that started well

but has gone off it's true calling long time ago...

Harsh but probably true...

[bangon04]

Why the photo of the 2 Bulgarian lads in the OP?

[Toadman]

Does this not fit the definition of an oxymoron?

"Shame on you for not helping someone the proper way!"

I am beggared! Much moreso that those who do not help somehow get a "pass" on this issue. Maybe it goes to show that in the near future charity will fade with people's realization that no matter what you do, you are damned if you do and damned if you don't.

At least the ones being damned for not helping are not facing the statistics that those who do help now face.

Do the math. It's as simple as that.

Oxfam... you need to re prioritize your expenditures. Less than 4% of your donations actually reached a kid's plate. You disgust me! Yeah! I know all about you NGO's and it's not looking good when you rear your heads and draw attention to yourselves. Better stick to keeping your behemoth alive and stay out of this.