The number of Ukrainian refugees in Bulgaria would exceed 100 thousand after the agreement on humanitarian corridors between Ukraine and Russia, predicted Ivaylo Mirchev, MP from Democratic Bulgaria, at a meeting with hoteliers from the town of Balchik on the Black sea. The hotel owners have offered free accommodation to nearly 300 refugees from Ukraine. They are determined to shelter the refugees, despite the huge costs, but they say that urgent intervention by the state is needed. 

Hoteliers in the port city of Varna who have taken in refugees from Ukraine are also demanding urgent compensation from the state. "The most important thing for us is to be compensated for the energy costs, because they are skyrocketing along with food prices every day," explained the owner of two hotels in the resort of "Sts. Constantine and Helena" Atanas Karageorgiev, who has 140 Ukrainians staying with him. He explained that he would hold out until the day the electricity bill came. 

"We envisage support of about BGN 40 per accommodated refugee, and we are currently checking what options we have within the state budget," said Tourism Minister Hristo Prodanov, who is in Burgas on the Black sea for a meeting with the tourism industry of the region.