site.btaNew Refugee Agency Head Requests Check by Council of Ministers, Public Financial Inspection Agency

Ivan Ivanov, the newly appointed Chair of the State Agency for Refugees (SAR), announced that he has requested the Internal Audit Unit of the Council of Ministers and the Public Financial Inspection Agency (PFIA) to conduct an inspection of the agency. The announcement followed his visit to the Registration and Reception Centre “Voenna Rampa” in Sofia, where he reviewed the living conditions of migrants.

Ivanov stated that upon assuming office three weeks ago, he encountered numerous unresolved issues within the agency and has already begun addressing them.

“I hope that as early as July, the Internal Audit units of the Council of Ministers and the PFIA will respond and review primarily the budget spending, public procurement, and the projects and programmes that have been carried out or are currently underway,” he said. Ivanov expressed concern about a lack of financial accountability, noting, “I was astonished to find no financial reporting on certain projects.” He gave the example of a Norwegian-funded project, for which he requested a report two weeks ago but, as of now, the documentation is still being collected from folders and archives.

During Tuesday's inspection of the Voenna Rampa refugee centre, Ivanov said he had also visited the site on Friday and was disturbed by what he saw. “Not much has changed today, aside from the floors being cleaned. But as you can see, the situation is tragic,” he commented. “These are spaces where no human being should be expected to live—especially in a country like Bulgaria, which is a member of the European Union.”

Refugees housed at the centre reported the presence of bedbugs and fleas in their rooms.

Ivanov noted that nearly BGN 600,000 have been invested in the centre over the past five years. “Personally, I don’t see where that money went. Perhaps the competent authorities will be able to clarify,” he added.

Currently, the Voenna Rampa Registration and Reception Centre houses 114 individuals, including 83 men, 11 women, 4 families, and 20 children, Ivanov reported. He noted that the centre is operating at 18% of its capacity.