site.btaOvcha Kupel Reception Center in Sofia to Accommodate Only Child Refugees

A reception center of the State Agency for Refugees in Sofia’s Ovcha Kupel area will remain open only for child refugees, Agency Chair Ivan Ivanov told journalists.

According to Ivanov, 37 minors under the age of 18 currently reside in the center under constant supervision. "They pose no threat to local residents," he said.

Due to rising tensions between the center's occupants and the neighborhood’s residents, authorities have decided to vacate and renovate the building. After the renovation, the facility will operate with a capacity of 250 places and will accommodate only children, Ivanov explained. The remaining adult residents have been relocated to reception centers in Sofia's Voenna Rampa and Vrazhdebna areas.

"The oversight and access control at the center were inadequate, which led to numerous conflicts with locals," said Yordan Todorov, a municipal councilor from the GERB–UDF group. He said that tensions culminated in March 2024 when a street brawl broke out involving pipes.

Todorov also noted a change in the profile of the center's occupants compared to previous years.

The renovation works are scheduled for next year, said Agency’s Nikola Kazakov.

In addition to closing the center to adult refugees, authorities are taking steps to improve access control and tighten security measures at the facility, Kazakov said.

These actions come as part of a broader effort to reduce tensions with local residents and ensure better oversight of the center’s operations.