The “Ritz” Hotel

You probably haven't seen then, but they're here – the refugees, banished from their homeland because of wars and disasters, look for help in Bulgaria. On World Refugee Day at the end of this June the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) collected countless stories of people, who have found temporary asylum in a building in the Ovcha Kupel neighbourhood, ironically called the "Ritz" Hotel. The homeless refugees looking for protection have no jobs or funds and find a shelter there.

The stories are introduced through the point of view of Dobrin Kashavelov, well-known to the readers of Magazine 8. From the beginning of 2013, 424 Syrians, 160 Algerians, 87 Malians and 93 stateless with no citizenship have applied for refugee status in Bulgaria. Many of them have fled the misery in their own country, only to face a new one, even greater poverty.

Adnan from Iraq

Adnan, a 56-years-old refugee from Iraq is one of the "guests" of the "Ritz" Hotel. He's been homeless for more than a year. During his first week the temperatures fall below -25 C. and he was admitted to the hospital with a severe cold. He lives in a room on the second floor of an abandoned building in the beginning and arranges it cozy. A group of teenagers set it on fire later , along with all of his personal belongings.

Then he moves into the basement. Sleeping with a blanket borrowed from other refugees, Adnan is thinking about the odd turn of events that brought him here. He graduated in Bulgaria and used to have a job until now. He married a Bulgarian and has a child with her. Because of the crisis he loses his job and his marriage falls apart.

Despite living together with other homeless refugees, Adnan says that he feels more and more isolated. "My father died in Syria. My mother died in Livan. I have two brothers, but I don't know anything about them. They might be dead too", he says.

Osman, Hasan and Mahdi

Osman (23), Hasan (26) and Mahdi (24) from North Africa spent a lot of time in the immigration center. Desperate by the long stay, they signed a declaration for self-support on a fictitious address . They got out eventually, surprised to find out that they no longer have the right to state benefits  and no place to go. They spent all their savings for rent during the first month of "freedom" and came to the "Ritz" Hotel. We found them extremely exhausted – they tried to make it to the Serbian border with the plan to head to Europe. They didn't succeed and came back to the only available home – the "Ritz" Hotel, haven't slept for 3 days.

A fulfilled dream

The three friends share a room in the basement. This, however, isn't the life they imagined, leaving North Africa. Many people seek asylum in Bulgaria, but most of them don't get the refugee status. Despite being turned down, they try again and again. Meanwhile they suffer the sever poverty and isolation without money or a home. The asylum-seekers have no options, except finding a shelter in abandoned buildings. The legislation in Bulgaria doesn't grant access to the state crisis centers and communal accommodation to foreigners without such status.