Humanitarian Alarm:

In the wake of migrant deaths along the borders of Bulgaria, Belarus, and Poland, activists are sounding the alarm about the life-threatening challenges faced by those seeking refuge in Europe.

Yesterday, Bulgarian state television reported a tragic incident in Sofia, where a migrant succumbed to freezing temperatures. The Ministry of Interior revealed that the man was among a group of 10 migrants exposed to severe cold on Monday, discovered in the suburbs of Sofia. Two were hospitalized, and the rest were taken to migrant centers. Bulgaria's porous EU external border with Turkey remains a common route for illegal crossings.

As temperatures plummet across the Northern Hemisphere, the perilous journey to Europe becomes increasingly deadly.

Simultaneously, dozens of migrants, primarily Iranians and Afghans, lost their lives on the Belarus-Poland border in the past month. The European Union has strongly criticized Belarus for using immigrants as political leverage.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria, grappling with being one of the EU's poorest countries, serves as a major transit point for immigrants aiming to reach Western European nations. Despite plans to join Schengen in 2024, Bulgaria faced setbacks in December 2022 when Austria and the Netherlands blocked its visa-free entry due to concerns about illegal immigration.

_{Source: DW, Infomigrants}