Bulgaria. One of the babies of the
EU, country, proud to be called democratic, proud to be a Christian.
But is it really true? Isn't it Bulgaria among the countries, which at least care about the protection of the human rights. Sitting at my desk at Berliner Morgenpost, I just received a link from my good friend, founder member of the Armenian Research Committee HAI TAD - Bulgaria. First thought: Is this possible in the 21 century. Answer, yes, sad, but yes...
What means to be an Armenian? I am not what it means already after the lack of a normal human reaction to the current case from the Armenian Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Story of a Sun, who just stopped shining...
Arevik, translated from Armenian, means sun. But who is Arevik?
Arevik is a young Armenian woman who traveled to Bulgaria in order to be with her 23-4 years old boyfriend David. After they had a 5-year long relationship on internet, they finally decided to be together. But it was more difficult than it seemed.
David is also an Armenian. He came before 18 years in Bulgaria with his whole family and now he lives in the small Bulgarian town, called Montana. His whole family received a legal rigth to stay in Bulgaria, however, he did
n't, because he had to go in the Armenian army. If he has went back to Armenia, he would be banned to come back to Bulgaria for a period of 10 years and of course, he don' want to do it.
Therefore, Arevik came to Montana with a monthly Visa. And after ending the month of happiness, torment began, writes the blogger Svetla, who is among the most active internet lobbyists for the girls' rights.
Areviik has sake legal ways to stay in Bulgaria, but it was refused to her to stay permanently. After some difficulties she received the extension of her visa to remain for 14 days, but on the 9th day it was ordered to arrest her. She has been send to the concentration camp for foreigners in Busmanci - like an illegal, who runs from the law.
Few days after her arrest, Arevik realizes she is pregnant. Initial attempts to be positive, but her pregnancy turns severe. Now, Arevik is currently behind 
bars in the Bulgarian detention center for undocumented migrants and asylum-seekers and her health situation is critical.
She is in her first trimester and the pregnancy seems to be affected gravely by the stress of detention, unable to eat properly and the unclear future for her baby and David, who she cannot marry, because he does not have official Bulgarian documents. Arevik needs immediate medical help and supervision, which she does not get.
Bloggers, online activists in Facebook groups and ordinary citizens try to help her. Till now, no reaction from the governmental side. According to the latest news, the Armenian embassy in Sofia wanted to send her back in Armenia in this condition, so that the family will be separated and maybe the child will never see his father. Something more, they wanted to contact the parents of the girl in Yerevan and she is an adult!
I contacted with medias from Bulgaria and Germany, with politicians and figures from the Armenian organizations in Bulgaria like AGBU-Sofia and now I turn to you.
Now I wonder, so many rules for the protection of the human rights have been forgotten and stay hidden under the dusty pile of bureaucracy. Do we all want to see how human lifes have been brought to an end? I think no.
You can sign this petition whose aim is to change the Bulgarian immigration laws. A legal change in the right direction will help not just Arevik but hundreds of other undocumented migrants, stranded in the Bulgarian bureaucratic limbo: http://bgpetition.com/regulirane-statut-imigranti/view.html . Then, you can start sending pressure letters to the local police official who ordered the arrest demanding they revoke it. Here is the address: Municipal Directorate of the Police in Montana, 2 Aleksandar Stamboliiski blvd, 3400 Montana, Bulgaria. (unfortunately they do not answer emails, but it won't hurt to send some emails too: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Support our rights to remain humans. I want to be a human. Do you?
READ MORE HERE!
PHOTO CREDIT: PERSONAL ARCHIV of Svetla Encheva: David and Arevik
I have made some comments on Svetlas blogg, and I think you are putting too much blame on Bulgaria, actually. I don’t doubt that the situation in Busmanci is horrible, but what Bulgaria is doing is just following the EU policies. The Union’s refugee policy uses any means available to keep people outside - even cooperation with dictatorships like Libya. For sure no one in Brussels would want Bulgaria to get more liberal on refugees, and Borisov knows that Brussels will not push him to do that.
Trust me, I have expressed myself easily. What means, that if you follow the policies you can die on the floor somewhere? and your child too? this is not EU policy, this is a barbarian one
Yes… my point is that the EU policy is barbarian. Politicians in western Europe know very well how refugges and immigrants are treated in Bulgaria, Greece or Malta, but they don’t hesitate to send people there.
There was similar case in Poland. Attempt to deport Russian teenager because - I don’t remember exactly - his parent committed a crime or died. The boy lived in Poland for many years and hardly spoke Russian. Due to the noise in the media he was allowed to stay. The point is there may be a tough policy, but each case may and should be revised with human approach - and in many times good way out will be possible. Probably not in “Ordnung muss sein” Germany, but in Bulgaria or Poland for sure.
Lucy, his name is David, not Daniel. but perhaps you meant some biblical story ‘‘Daniel in der Grube’’
@rien, i fixed it on the very second. Thanks
@Robert, I believe that Germany doesn`t wait for its nation to do something. If you have been in the Berliner U-Bahn u will know what I mean…I love the Germans, but Bulgaria is not this type of social country like it, where the institutions actually do something. And I don`t accept that as a EU citizen.
@Daniel, the case is not about the reffuge policy, it is more about the policy concerning how a HUMAN being is being threatened by the system: they leave you sick somewhere, without medicines, without care and not only your life is there, there is one more human inside you…It is the international human rights organisations like Amnesti, who must involve! And the World Health Organization, if you ask me.