The Diplomatic Missions of Afghanistan released a statement on Sunday demanding an inquiry into the grievous demise of Afghan asylum seekers in Bulgaria, which has also been posted on the Twitter handle of Afghanistan’s Embassy and Permanent Mission to the UN Office in Geneva.
The statement conveyed the Diplomatic Missions of Afghanistan’s distress over the heartrending accounts of the trafficking and death of 18 Afghan citizens in Bulgaria, and expressed their sincere sympathies to the families of the victims.
As per the Afghan diplomatic officials, the incident reveals that Afghan refugees seeking asylum were discovered in a deserted truck in the vicinity of the Bulgarian capital Sofia.
Statement of the Diplomatic Missions of the I.R of Afghanistan on the Tragic Death of Afghan Asylum Seekers in Bulgaria
بیانیهٔ نمایندگی های دیپلوماتیک ج.ا افغانستان در مورد مرگ دلخراش پناهجویان افغانستان در بلغاریا
27 دلو 1401 مطابق 18 فبروری 2023 pic.twitter.com/UbclWUXJgq
— Afghanistan in Geneva (@AfghanistanInCH) February 19, 2023
News sources reported that a group of 18 Afghan migrants and refugees were discovered dead in a truck that had been abandoned on an unpaved route near the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.
The Diplomatic Missions of Afghanistan called on Bulgaria to provide protection and health assistance to the survivors of the victims, as well as consular assistance to the Afghan embassy, in accordance with international conventions, according to their statement.
Afghan diplomats have requested the United Nations to give special consideration to the situation of Afghan asylum seekers, especially women and children, in Bulgaria.
The discovery of 18 dead people in an abandoned truck near Sofia, Bulgaria, including one child, reportedly Afghan, has shocked and deeply saddened UN agencies.
The UN Refugee Agency, also known as UNHCR, along with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), expressed their shock and sadness in a statement released on February 18th. The statement pertained to the discovery of 18 deceased individuals, reportedly Afghan nationals, including a child, who were found in an abandoned truck in close proximity to Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital city.
It is worth mentioning that Bulgarian authorities have recently announced the detention of six individuals in relation to the discovery of 18 dead Afghan refugees in a vehicle in Bulgaria.
According to prosecutors, the driver and his companion abandoned the truck in Lokorsko village after finding that many of the 52 people in the hidden compartments of the vehicle, which were covered with foil, were dizzy and some had already died.
