We heard about this place in Sofia, where destitute refugees who had provided fake addresses to escape registration in Bulgaria, were sleeping in terrible conditions. Their eligibility for state support faltered on those grounds. The refugees called the decrepit building sarcastically "The Hotel Ritz". Bulgarian authorities opened a refugee shelter just across the road from there some months ago, so luckily we couldn't find anyone inside. Yunis, whom we met outside the official shelter, told us about a friend who had spent some time there in Winter. He took us on a tour of a place that is haunted by destitution, desperation and a tiny spark of hope. Just enough to face the next day.

When you drive through Bulgaria you see a country stricken by poverty itself. Without the wealth to provide for their own citizens, it is hard to expect miracle work for arriving refugees. So any commentary in this video should be interpreted against that background.

Camera: Jim Kroft & Bastian Fischer
Edit: Bastian Fischer