Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Mysterious disappearances of Nepalese and Sri Lankan workers on the Black Sea coast

Sunny Beach
Photo: BTA

Four cases of third-country nationals - three from Nepal and one from Sri Lanka - who were employed by hotels in the Sunny Beach resort and then disappeared have been reported to police in Nessebar. According to Veselin Nalbantov, deputy chairman of the Bulgarian Hotel and Restaurant Association, these workers appear to have used Bulgaria as a gateway to Western Europe. 

"We find their clothes and passports, but they are gone. We assess their work and then they head west. It's a mystery how they crossed the border without passports," Nalbantov said, not ruling out the possibility of a human trafficking network. 

"It is possible that these workers were aware that they could use their entry into an EU country to move on through Europe, taking advantage of the Schengen zone. Like Bulgarians, foreigners seek better pay and working conditions," added Tsvetelina Randeva, spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry in Bourgas.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Vietnam Communist Party leader To Lam on official visit to Bulgaria

To Lam, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, is on an official visit to Bulgaria. He was welcomed at a ceremony in St. Alexander Nevsky Square by President Rumen Radev and his wife, Desislava Radeva, as reported by the Bulgarian..

published on 10/23/25 2:25 PM
Boyko Borissov

Bulgaria could face fuel shortages if Lukoil stops operating, says GERB leader Borissov

Bulgaria could run into fuel shortages if the Lukoil Neftochim refinery stops operating, former Prime Minister and GERB leader Boyko Borissov warned on Thursday. Prime Minister: Bulgaria has a month to decide how to proceed after US sanctions on..

published on 10/23/25 2:13 PM

Prime Minister: Bulgaria has a month to decide how to proceed after US sanctions on Lukoil

Bulgaria has until 21 November to decide how to proceed with the Lukoil Neftochim refinery, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said on Thursday ahead of a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels. He was apparently referring to the end of a US Treasury..

published on 10/23/25 1:57 PM