Bulgaria launches two tenders for refugee centre expansion

The works envisaged in the tender contracts include construction and installation of 68 residential containers with access to water and the construction of a central heating system, the tender notices, published on the website of the country's public procurement agency, indicated.

An EU grant will cover 90% of the total costs, while the rest will be funded by the state budget.

According to national radio broadcaster BNR, after the expansion the centre's capacity will increase by 400 to 3,000.

Since June, refugees in the refugee centre have increased nearly five times to 1,000, according to BNR.

Since the beginning of 2016, Bulgaria's interior ministry has intercepted 29,000 illegal migrants, BNR said last week.

(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)