Bulgaria ignores European Court of Human Rights' order and demolishes Roma houses
- Human Rights Research Center
- May 1
- 2 min read
Author: Peter Clarkin, MA
May 1, 2025
HRRC is concerned by the Bulgarian government’s violation of an order from the European Court of Human Rights. The destruction of family homes shows a complete disregard for the health and safety of Romani people.
![Houses lay in ruins following an immediate order of destruction by the district mayor of Sofia, Bulgaria [Image source: Fakti.bg via Deutsche Welle]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e28a6b_5a81f5e6494b4f3ab9420b501d6260d3~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_980,h_581,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/e28a6b_5a81f5e6494b4f3ab9420b501d6260d3~mv2.png)
Four days after a measure was put in place by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to protect the homes of Romani people in Sofia, Bulgaria, Emil Branchevski, the district mayor, decided to proceed with his plan. He actioned an order to completely destroy a large section of an enclave inhabited by hundreds of people.
The illegal destruction has left over 60 families homeless, with only four being rehomed, and it is believed that a number of the homes that were destroyed housed children, the elderly and people living with disabilities.
Despite promises from the mayor’s office there is yet to be any indication as to when replacement housing will be provided for the dispossessed, and as a result many are left inhabiting small tents beside the ruins. The ECtHR ruling stated that before destroying the houses information needed to be provided in relation to rehousing, especially with relation to vulnerable individuals. It is still unclear whether anything was submitted.
Before the destruction began, a number of protesters took to the streets to publicise their demands. Their primary request was to be relocated to an area which was both safe and clean, they stated they could no longer be moved to temporary accommodation centres as these are often significantly over capacity and under law should not be used to house children under 18. The Europe Court has given the government until May 9th to provide adequate plans for relocation.
Due to this ongoing situation, there have been calls for the Bulgarian national authorities to immediately address the situation before it turns into a humanitarian crisis. It has been estimated that it will cost over $100,000 to clean up the area that has been destroyed, and with a number of the residents yet to be rehomed sanitary conditions are deteriorating day by day.
Glossary
Adequate – enough or acceptable in quality or quantity.
Authorities – people or organizations in power, e.g. government or police.
Deteriorating – getting worse over time.
Dispossessed – people who have been unfairly forced to leave their homes.
Enclave – a small area or group within a larger one, often culturally or socially different.
Humanitarian crisis – a serious situation where many people suffer due to lack of food, shelter, or safety.
Indication – a sign or piece of evidence that shows something is happening.
Inhabiting- living in or occupying a place
Measure – an action or step taken to deal with a problem.
Publicise – to make something known to the public.
Relocation – moving people from one place to another, often for safety or housing.
Romani people – an ethnic group traditionally living throughout Europe, often marginalized.
Sanitary – clean and healthy, especially to prevent disease.
Vulnerable individuals – people at greater risk of harm or neglect due to age, health, or other factors.
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