Sofia

Sofia Busmantsi Detention Centre (Special Home for Temporary Accommodation of Foreigners(SHAF))

Bulgaria

Status

In use

2024

Type: Immigration detention centre (Administrative)

Custodial Authority: Migration Directorate, Migration Directorate, National Service Border Police

Management: Migration Directorate. Ministry of Interior. (Governmental)

Detains: Asylum seekers (administrative), Recognized refugees (administrative), Unaccompanied minors, Undocumented migrants (administrative)

Capacity Reported population Deaths at facility
400
119

31 December 2024

Yes

23 June 2021

Bulgaria

9,208

Migration Detainee Entries

22,805

Apprehensions of Non-Citizens

To country overview
Detention Observatory Partners
Global Detention Project
Red Line Project
Bulgarian Foundation for Access to Rights (FAR)
FACILITY NAMES
Sofia Busmantsi Detention Centre (Special Home for Temporary Accommodation of Foreigners(SHAF))
Location

Country: Bulgaria

City & Region: Sofia, Europe

Latitude, Longitude: 42.673616, 23.438816

Contact Information
ulitsa "Sredno livade" 6, 1520 Busmantsi, Bulgaria

MANAGEMENT & BUDGET

Center Status
Status
Year
In use
2024
In use
2023
In use
2021
Last documented use
2018
In use
2016
In use
2015
In use
2013
In use
2010
Facility type
Category
Type
Year
Administrative
Immigration detention centre
2018
Administrative
Immigration detention centre
2010
National typology
Official Typology
Year
Special Home for Temporary Accommodation of Foreigners
2018
Special Home for Temporary Placement of Foreigners
2013
Management
Management
Type
Year
Migration Directorate. Ministry of Interior.
Governmental
2013
Custodial Authorities
Agency
Ministry
Ministry type
Year
Migration Directorate
Ministry of Interior
Interior or Home Affairs
2017
Migration Directorate
Ministry of the Interior
Interior or Home Affairs
2013
National Service Border Police
Ministry of Interior
Interior or Home Affairs
2010
Outsourced services and non-state actors
Provider
Service
Year
Bulgarian Red Cross
Social services
2017
Caritas
Social services
2017
Facility owner
Owner type
Owner name
Year
State. Management is provided to the Migration Directorate, Ministry of Interior.
2017
Operating Period
Year of entry
Year ceased
2006

DETAINEES

Demographics

Unaccompanied minors

2024

Families

2019

Adult women

2019

Adult men

2019

Accompanied minors

2019

Families

2019

Disabled persons

2019
Categories of detainees

Asylum seekers (administrative)

2024

Asylum seekers (administrative)

2023

Undocumented migrants (administrative)

2023

Undocumented migrants (administrative)

2019

Asylum seekers (administrative)

2019

Undocumented migrants (administrative)

2019

Asylum seekers (administrative)

2019

Recognized refugees (administrative)

2019

Asylum seekers (administrative)

2013

Undocumented migrants (administrative)

2010
Countries of Origin

Country #1 Afghanistan

Country #2 Syria

Country #3 Iraq

Country #4 Turkey

Country #5 Morocco

2024
At-Risk Populations

Asylum seekers

2024

Unaccompanied children

2023

SIZE & POPULATION

Capacity (specialised migration-related facility)

Type Standard capacity

Capacity 400

2024

Type Standard capacity

Capacity 400

2023

Type Standard capacity

Capacity 400

2021

Type Standard capacity

Capacity 400

2017

Type Standard capacity

Capacity 400

2015
Total Migration Detainees: Entries + Remaining from Previous Year

Number 31

2021

Number 1102

2017
Reported Single-Day Migration Detainee Population at Facility (day)
Number
Date
119
31 December 2024
92
31 December 2023
386
29 December 2021
100
2 July 2010
Reports of Detainee Overpopulation at Facility

Yes

2023

LENGTH OF DETENTION

Detention Timeframe (long, medium, short)

Length Long-term (more than 20 days)

2017
Average Days in Detention

Number of Days 59

2017

Number of Days 58

2013

Number of Days 61

2012

Number of Days 77

2011

OUTCOMES

CONDITIONS

Overall Inspection Score

Deficient (“Deficient” or “At Risk”)

2024

Deficient (“Deficient” or “At Risk”)

2023

Deficient (“Deficient” or “At Risk”)

2017
Inadequate conditions
Inadequate Conditions
Obvs. Date
2024
2024
2024
2024
2024
2023
2023
2023
2023
2023
2023
2023
2022
2022
2019
2019
2019
2019
2019
2019
2017
2017
2017
2017
2017

CARCERAL INDICATORS

External Security Regime

Secure

2013

Secure

2010

STAFF

Specially Trained

Yes

2017
Mistreatment Reports

Yes

2024

Yes

2019

Yes

2017

SEGREGATION

Gender Segregation

Yes

2017
Age Segregation

Yes

2017
Legal Segregation

Not Applicable

2024

Not Applicable

2017
Family Segregation

Yes

2017

CELLS

COMMUNAL SPACE & ACTIVITIES

Outdoor Space

Yes

2024

Yes

2023
Hours Outdoor Space Accessible

2

2024

2

2023
Activities/Education for Children

No

2023
Skills Development for Adults

No

2023

No

2019
Language Classes

No

2023

No

2019
Possibility to Prepare Own Meals

No

2019
Remunerated Work

No

2019

HEALTH

Medical Screening upon Arrival (within 48 hours)

No

2024
Psychological Evaluation upon Arrival

No

2024

No

2023

No

2021
Doctor on Duty

Infrequent

2024
Nurse on Duty

Infrequent

2024
Psychologist Visits

No regular visits

2019
Inadequate health provisions
Inadequate Health Provisions
Obvs. Date
DoctorsNursesPsychological careSpecialist careMedication
2023
Psychological careSpecialist careMedication
2019
Barriers to care
Barriers to Care
Obvs. Date
Inadequate translation servicesUnsanitary/inadequate detention conditions
2024
Patient forced to pay for careInadequate translation servicesInadequate food or water provision
2023
Patient forced to pay for care
2022
Lack of record keepingInadequate translation services
2019
Reports of Deaths
Name of deceased individual
Date of death
Ms S. D
23 June 2021
N.A.
30 December 2017
Reports of self-harming
Self harm reported
Incident/Report date
Yes
30 December

MONITORING & ACCESS

Lawyer Access

Yes

2023
Monitors & Civil Society Access
Access?
Type of Institution
Obsv. Date
Yes
National non-governmental groups
2024
Yes
National non-governmental groups
2023
Yes
International non-governmental groups
2023
Yes
UN High Commissioner for Refugees
2023
Yes
National ombudsman or human rights institution
2023
Yes
National non-governmental groups
2017
Yes
UN High Commissioner for Refugees
2017
Yes
International Organization for Migration
2017
Yes
National ombudsman or human rights institution
2017
Yes
National Preventive Mechanism under OPCAT
2017
Yes
Bar associations or similar
2017
Family Access

Yes

2024

Yes

2023

Infrequently

2019

Yes

2017
Consular Access

Yes

2017

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Access to Telephones

Yes

2024

Yes

2019
Free Outgoing Local Calls

No

2024
Computer Access

No

2024
Internet Access

No

2024

No

2023
Access to Personal Cell Phones

Yes (with restrictions)

2024

Yes (with restrictions)

2019