Bulgaria authorities using pushbacks, police dogs on asylum seekers, HRW says

Bulgarian authorities are using police dogs and other tools to attack Afghan and other asylum seekers and migrants, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.

Bulgarian authorities were beating, robbing, stripping, and using police dogs to attack asylum seekers and migrants, the New York-headquartered rights group said.

They are also pushing the asylum seekers and migrants back to Turkey without any formal interview or asylum procedure, according to HRW.

"Bulgarian authorities are brutally and summarily pushing back migrants and asylum seekers across the land border with Turkey,” said Michelle Randhawa, refugee and migrant rights officer at Human Rights Watch.

"The European Union should ensure that Bulgaria immediately stops the illegal and dehumanising pushbacks at its borders and allows asylum seekers access to fair asylum procedures."

HRW spoke to Afghan asylum seekers who said that Bulgarian police used dogs at the first encounter with them. Five of the 15 Afghan asylum seekers spoken to said that a police dog bit them or someone in their group.

HRW also accused Bulgaria of double standards when it came to the asylum seekers' country of origin.

"At a time when Bulgarian officials are welcoming Ukrainian refugees by disseminating information to them about temporary protection and living in Bulgaria, they are brutally mistreating Afghans and other asylum seekers at their border," Randhawa said.

"Bulgarian authorities should extend the same understanding and dignified treatment to all asylum seekers as they are doing for Ukrainians."

The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan last summer sparked a refugee exodus from the country. Many have travelled through Turkey to reach Europe.