member state with the lowest standard of a referral mechanism and the establishment media freedom. of a central register of acts of domestic violence, victims and perpetrators. The REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS amendments had not been adopted by the Bulgaria continued to carry out systematic end of the year. pushbacks of migrants and asylum seekers at its borders. Over 1,100 pushbacks were LGBTI PEOPLE’S RIGHTS recorded by the end of the year, affecting at LGBTI people continued to face threats and least 13,000 people. In July, the European abuse, including by political parties and Court of Human Rights found that Bulgaria public officials. had violated the European Convention on In October, Rainbow Hub, a community Human Rights by expelling a journalist to centre for LGBTI-related events in Sofia, was Turkey in 2016 without examining the risks of attacked and vandalized by a group of people ill-treatment he faced on his return. led by Boyan Rassate, a Bulgarian National Reception conditions for asylum seekers Union party candidate in the November remained substandard. In August, the presidential elections.1 After strong Bulgarian Ombudsperson said that the condemnation by human rights activists, specially designated zone for unaccompanied political parties and numerous embassies in children in the Voenna Rampa reception Sofia, the Election Commission waived Boyan centre was severely overcrowded and that Rassate’s political immunity and he was children lived in extremely poor and detained and charged with hooliganism and unhygienic conditions. assault. Under the country’s Criminal Code, In August, the government announced homophobic violence is not yet recognized as plans to reinforce police and military a hate crime. presence on the borders with Turkey and The Bulgarian National Union party Greece because of concerns over arrivals of frequently criticized LGBTI groups publicly Afghan asylum seekers after the Taliban’s and accused them of spreading “gender takeover of Afghanistan. propaganda” and teaching “perversions” to Bulgaria granted international protection to schoolchildren. up to 70 Afghan nationals, along with their Leading up to the general elections in July, families, who worked for the Bulgarian LGBTI events in Sofia, Plovdiv and Burgas embassy and military in Afghanistan. were targeted by groups hostile to minority Nevertheless, the vast majority of Afghans rights. In July, the annual Pride event took seeking asylum continued to be rejected in place in Sofia against a backdrop of accelerated procedures with their widespread anti-LGBTI protests. applications treated as manifestly unfounded, DISCRIMINATION an ongoing practice ever since Bulgaria declared Turkey a safe third country. Roma continued to face widespread social SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE exclusion and discrimination, including in education, health, housing and employment. Cases of domestic violence, which surged Covid-19 and the resulting prolonged state of threefold during the Covid-19 pandemic, emergency disproportionately affected the continued to rise. Roma population. In January, the government submitted to the Roma children continued to be significantly parliament amendments to the Law on less likely to complete any level of education Protection from Domestic Violence aimed at than the general population. Covid-19 further harmonizing domestic legislation with increased the risk of early marriage for Roma international standards. Some of the girls. The European Roma Rights Centre measures included in the amendments found that Roma children were over- envisage strengthening protective measures, represented in the state childcare system and Amnesty International Report 2021/22 105