In late December, a harrowing incident unfolded near the Bulgarian-Turkish border as three Egyptian teenage boys went missing. Ahmed Samra, 17, Ahmed Elawdan, 16, and Seifalla Elbeltagy, 15, called for help while they were cold and lost in the dense forests of Burgas, southeastern Bulgaria. Despite their desperate pleas for assistance, a series of obstacles allegedly prevented their rescue, culminating in a tragic loss of life.
Humanitarian organizations No Name Kitchen (NNK) and Collettivo Rotte Balcaniche (CRB) were alerted to the teenagers' plight and sprung into action to locate and rescue them. However, their efforts met resistance. The organizations made numerous calls to Bulgaria's official emergency number, 112, but claim Bulgarian border police hindered their rescue attempts.
One rescue team even faced confiscation of their passports and phones by the police, who also took their fingerprints and photographs. In a grim turn of events, the bodies of the boys were later discovered. Ahmed Samra was found with chilling evidence surrounding him—"dog paw prints and boot prints around his body."
"dog paw prints and boot prints around his body" – A report
The Bulgarian interior ministry has denied allegations of negligence, asserting that its border forces responded swiftly to the alerts of young people in distress. They claimed the bodies were located in different areas from those initially indicated by the rescue teams. However, these assertions have not quelled calls for an "independent, formal investigation" into what humanitarian groups describe as "systemic violence and negligence by Bulgarian authorities."
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants and asylum seekers attempting to cross the border between Bulgaria and Turkey, a frequent transit point for those seeking refuge in Europe. Over recent years, this border has become synonymous with human rights abuses.
Activists have been vocal in their condemnation of the incident and the broader issues it highlights. One activist remarked on the misplaced responsibility that falls on concerned individuals rather than trained professionals.
“It should not be the responsibility of worried activists to reach people in the forest – border police are trained and paid to do so.” – An activist
The report "Frozen Lives" documents the systematic harassment of rescue teams working in freezing temperatures last December. It details acts of vandalism against one of the teams' vehicles, which was abandoned by border guards only to be discovered later with smashed windows and engine screws tampered with.
A female activist involved in the rescue efforts recounted her disturbing experience with the Bulgarian border police.
“I was separated from my male friends and strip-searched in front of two border police officers and was made to sit there while they went through my bags,” – A female activist
“I was on my period and it felt deeply uncomfortable and unnecessary to make me stand there naked. It felt like every action the officers made was just to intimidate and scare us and put us off doing something similar again.” – A female activist
The incident has not only triggered outrage but also highlighted systemic issues at Europe's borders regarding the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers. Activists are calling for accountability at both national and European levels.
“It is utterly shocking that three minors froze to death in the forest even though multiple alerts to 112 had been placed. This is a huge failure for everyone. Not only the Bulgarian police forces, but for the EU overall and all its member states.” – An activist