One resident of the Ritz is Iraqi refugee Adnan, 56, who first came to Bulgaria in 1978 on an educational exchange program. Adnan has been homeless for over a year. He moved into the derelict building on Feb. 21, 2012, and lived in a crude dwelling he had fashioned for himself on the second floor. He lost this shelter and his worldly possessions when teenagers torched his quarters. /UNHCR/ April 2013
Adnan’s example shows that even those receiving protection are vulnerable. According to the report Where is my home? Bulgaria’s integration program does not properly prepare refugees to go it alone. Researchers cite serious problems in language, education and job training, which make it difficult for these people to find secure employment. Without a solid livelihood, many refugees – like Adnan – end up on the street. /UNHCR/ April 2013
Although he lives in close proximity to other homeless refugees, Adnan is becoming increasingly isolated, stating: “My father died in Syria. My mother died in Lebanon. I have two brothers, but I know nothing of them. They’re probably dead too.” According to the study Where is my home?, refugees as well as asylum-seekers in Bulgaria are often trapped in “a vicious circle” that makes true integration extremely difficult. /UNHCR/ April 2013
Adnan lost this shelter and his worldly possessions when teenagers torched his quarters. /UNHCR/ April 2013
Iraqi refugee Adnan, 56 is living in the derelict building. /UNHCR/ April 2013
Iraqi refugee Adnan, 56 poses for a portrait in the derelict building where he lives. /UNHCR/ April 2013
This is Adnan's room. He lives without electricity and the only light that he use is a candle. /UNHCR/ April 2013
Iraqi refugee Adnan, 56 poses for a portrait in the Hotel Ritz. /UNHCR/ April 2013
Iraqi refugee Adnan, 56 poses for a portrait in the basement of Hotel Ritz. /UNHCR/ April 2013
Over 15 months Adnan has been homeless. He has faced life-threatening dangers. During his first week on the street, temperatures dropped to 25 below zero Celsius, and he was rushed to hospital suffering from hypothermia and frostbite. In the last ten years 1,300 Iraqis like Adnan have received protection in Bulgaria. /UNHCR/ April 2013
Until changes take place, men like Adnan can only hope that opportunity and better fortune will eventually find them. They may not have to wait long. The recently created National Programme for the Integration of Refugees offers 600 hours of Bulgarian language training, 198 hours of vocational education in trades like cosmetics and tailoring, and job-skill training in cooperation with other agencies. But as positive as this programme is, its capacity and execution have been limited. In 2012, out of 177 foreigners granted protection status, only 54 people (30 percent) were admitted into the programme. In total, 31 completed the Bulgarian language classes and only nine finished the vocational training courses. /UNHCR/ April 2013
After the attack, Adnan shared a space in the building’s basement with three North Africans. He borrowed a blanket, and at night reflected on the strange journey that had brought him to this place. Adnan had earned a university degree in Bulgaria, and until recently had work, a Bulgarian wife, and a child. But when the financial crisis struck, he lost his job and his marriage deteriorated. Social workers report that foreigners are the first to be fired in hard economic times. /UNHCR/ April 2013
This is Mahdi’s room, which he shares with two friends. /UNHCR/ April 2013
This is Mahdi’s room, which he shares with two friends. It is neither the destination nor life he imagined for himself after leaving North Africa. According to the study Where is my home? asylum-seekers consider the procedure for applying for protection unclear and non-transparent. The major of those who apply never receive refugee status. Those that appeal experience “extreme marginalization” – poverty and often homelessness – while they await a decision from authorities. /UNHCR/ April 2013
Misery loves company at the Hotel Ritz. “Other refugees come and go,” says Adnan. “[They come from] Syria, Iraq, Mali, many countries.” Since 2003, Afghans (2083), Iraqis (2991), and Syrians (1083) among others have come to Bulgaria for protection. The unfortunate among these people have ended up homeless. Some lose hope. Others keep fighting. One of Adnan’s neighbors, a Syrian named Mohamed declares: “Every morning I get up and I go to Bulgarian class. I will learn Bulgarian and I will start to work.” /UNHCR/ April 2013
Once free, Mahdi realized that signing the declaration made him ineligible to receive state assistance or lodging. When his savings ran out, he was on the street. /UNHCR/ April 2013
Mahdi is a 24-year-old Moroccan who is now living in a derelict building in the Bulgarian capital.
/UNHCR/ April 2013
/UNHCR/ April 2013
Without work or money, asylum-seekers like these men have few other options than finding shelter in derelict buildings since regulations deny foreigners access to state-sponsored crisis centers and municipal accommodations. Much of the misery endured daily in the Hotel Ritz could be eased if Bulgarian authorities, in partnership with NGOs, offered shelters for homeless foreigners. /UNHCR/ April 2013
After a prolonged stay in a detention centre - Mahdi, 24, Hassan, 26, and Osman, 23, desperate to get out, gave authorities fictitious home addresses in the city. Once free, they were shocked to find they were now ineligible to receive state assistance or receive lodging in a Registration and Reception Centre. With only enough savings to pay for a single month of rent, they are now residents at the Hotel Ritz. /UNHCR/ April 2013
The Hotel Ritz is an abandoned construction site in Sofia, Bulgaria. Overlooking the largest reception centre for people seeking international protection, the derelict is used as shelter by destitute refugees and asylum-seekers. Since 2003, 11,180 asylum-seekers have sought a home in Bulgaria. Some are languishing here homeless and desperate. /UNHCR/ April 2013
