Tension in Harmanli: Municipality demands guarantees against expansion of refugee center

Harmanli Municipality opposes the expansion of the refugee center

The local government in Harmanli has issued an official statement in which it categorically opposes any plans to increase the capacity of the Registration and Reception Center in the city. The municipality demands written guarantees from the State Agency for Refugees (SAR) and the Council of Ministers that the planned renovation activities will not lead to an expansion of the bed capacity.

"Our main duty and priority remain the security, peace, and public order for all residents of Harmanli Municipality," the local administration states.

Motives for the discontent

• Security and public order: The municipality places emphasis on the tranquility of the citizens.
• Lack of capacity: Local health and social services are not designed for additional demographic load.
• Clarity on the scale: While the renovation of the facility is considered necessary, any change in the purpose of the site is unacceptable.

The modernization project, funded by the "Asylum, Migration and Integration" Fund, affects the centers in Harmanli, Pastrogor, and Sofia. Although the official goal is to improve conditions, the historical experience with migration pressure in the Haskovo region makes residents extremely cautious. We remind that some time ago, similar tension arose around the former barracks in Simeonovgrad, which forced the institutions to abandon the ideas of building a closed-type center there.