Roma foundation commits up to 15 000 euro humanitarian support for displaced families in Sofia neighbourhood

The Roma Foundation for Europe (RFE) has committed up to 15 000 euro in humanitarian support for displaced families following illegal demolitions of homes in the Zaharna Fabrika neighbourhood in Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia, it said in a media statement on May 6.

The funds will be used for emergency supplies such as food or tents, the statement said.

About 200 people, including children and elderly residents, were rendered homeless by the demolitions, the foundation said.

“Eyewitnesses reported traumatic scenes of people being forcibly dragged out of their homes by unidentified men wielding whips, while their houses were being razed,” the statement said.

Highlighting the situation on the ground, Zeljko Jovanovic, president of the Roma Foundation for Europe, said: “The crisis remains unresolved, with many residents still homeless.

“Families who initially stayed with relatives or close contacts during the first 20 days post-demolition now return to the Zaharna Fabrika community, living in tents due to a lack of alternatives,” Jovanovic said.

“The absence of clean water poses significant health risks. The temporary accommodations offered are typically meant for homeless people without families, not for people with children,” he said.

“Furthermore, some families are split, with mothers and children in shelters while fathers remain outside in tents. There are also reports of social workers threatening to remove children from mothers in temporary centres, citing inadequate conditions—conditions created by the state’s actions.

“The psychological toll on the community has been severe. Our activists reported that children affected by the eviction are traumatised. The Bulgarian government’s actions displaced vulnerable families and violated international legal norms,” Jovanovic said.

The demolition of Roma homes is in direct violation of an emergency ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which had explicitly ordered Bulgarian authorities not to proceed with demolitions until adequate housing had been provided.

The ECHR’s interim measures were intended to protect the rights of 14 applicants whose homes were under threat. In spite of this binding international order, local authorities proceeded with the demolitions.

According to Radoslav Stoyanov, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee’s co-chairperson, the 2016 demolition orders were deliberately vague, mentioning only the structures as illegal without naming the residents.

This tactic meant that no formal notice was delivered to the affected families, effectively preventing them from challenging the evictions in court—a clear breach of due process and international human rights norms, the statement said.

“The legal absurdity exposes the double standard applied to Roma communities,” it said.

“While informal housing in other parts of Sofia and rural Bulgaria is tolerated, Roma settlements are selectively targeted for demolition.”

Stoyanov described the act as the worst violation he had witnessed in his 18 years of human rights work.

Local and national Roma leaders have warned that if the humanitarian crisis is not urgently addressed, a national protest will be organised, the statement said.

They have called for immediate, dignified, and permanent housing solutions, an investigation into the conduct of regional and municipal authorities, and accountability for those responsible for the unlawful evictions.

Jovanovic said: “The destruction in Zaharna Fabrika is seen not only as a local tragedy but also as emblematic of broader systemic failures in Bulgaria and across Europe, where Roma face disproportionately high levels of housing insecurity, exclusion, and discrimination.

“The situation has prompted urgent calls for institutional reform, effective protections against homelessness, and a comprehensive national housing strategy,” he said.

(Photo: Roma Foundation for Europe)

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