The UNHCR Annual Consultations with Non-Governmental Organizations is a major and rather unique event that provides an important forum for debate on global and regional themes and an opportunity to explore fresh collaboration on advocacy and operational issues.
On September 23 the European Commission proposed a new Pact on Migration and Asylum, covering all of the different elements needed for a comprehensive European approach to migration. It sets out improved and faster procedures throughout the asylum and migration system and sets in balance the principles of fair sharing of responsibility and solidarity. This is crucial for rebuilding trust between Member States and confidence in the capacity of the European Union to manage migration.
On September 17, the Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants in partnership with the UNHCR Representation in Bulgaria and Multi Kulti Collective held an information session on the role of civil society structures for the integration of refugees in Bulgaria. The event was attended by 35 representatives of non-governmental organizations from Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Haskovo, Dimitrovgrad and Harmanli, as well as representatives of international organizations. The program included topics related to the refugee path, the Bulgarian and global context of the situation, attitudes towards refugees, elements of integration at the local level, as well as a discussion on practice, experience and opportunities for collaboration, creation of coalitions and partnerships amongst civil society structures for integration of refugees in Bulgaria, as an opportunity for development. The event was organized within the framework of the implementation of project “Advocacy for refugee integration in Bulgaria”, financed by UNHCR, and project National Integration Evaluation Mechanism (NIEM), co-funded by the EU.
The Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants (BCRM) is inviting representatives of the academic community to publish an article in an academic issue on the occasion of the Annual National Forum “Enhancing the integration of refugees in the context of COVID-19 in Bulgaria” held at the end of November 2020. The issue aims to contribute to the analysis and understanding of various areas of integration through the prism of the new challenges in the situation of COVID-19 for those seeking and receiving international protection in Bulgaria, the role of organizations providing services, the response of state institutions, the real integration at the local level, the decisions and experiences of the refugees themselves.
The authors will be invited to an academic panel during the national forum to present the conclusions they have reached.
Selected articles will also be published in the Academic Bulletin “Refugees: Today and Tomorrow”.
If interested, please indicate the title and thematic integration area by September 20, 2020, at bgrc@bulrefcouncil.org. The deadline for submitting articles is October 31, 2020.
We present to your attention our latest e-Book Good practices for integration of refugees through education and culture developed by the Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants under a project funded by the UNHCR.
The guiding principle of the BCRM in the selection of good practices is that their implementation should be beneficial for both refugees and the local population.
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The Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants, as a member of the MAGNET Network (Migrant Acceleration for Growth – Network for Entrepreneurship Training) presents to your attention Online forum Youth Entrepreneurship in the context of migrations.
On the 27th of August, the MAGNET project is hosting its final thematic network forum which will bring together practitioners from the Migrant Entrepreneurship field to discuss youth integration through entrepreneurship.
The session will showcase ongoing projects and research, good practices and learning, and will discuss pressing challenges such as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and prospects of recovery.
Registration for the event >>>
For a first time, UNHCR is piloting an online survey of the kind and we do hope to reach out with your help as many asylum-seekers and refugees as possible, especially those who may need support now in times when physical contact is obstructed by COVID-19 social distancing measures, fear of contamination, domestic violence, and abuse and any other risks that make it difficult for refugee voices to be heard.
The BCRM is actively participating in the UNHCR AGD PA.
The BCRM, as UNHCR implementing partner, developed and maintain the platform www.refugee.bg and the survey questionnaires are available on subdomain www.agd.refugee.bg
We present to your attention the Second issue of the Academic Bulletin “Refugees: Today and Tomorrow”.
The second issue of the Academic Bulletin “Refugees: Today and Tomorrow” focuses on the topic of housing policies and practices, presenting a recent study of municipal housing policies as a key to local integration for those who have received international protection in Bulgaria. The topic is complemented by a review of social distances as an obstacle to effective housing policies based on sociological surveys. Other important highlights of the second issue are the topics explaining the legal framework defining the “refugees’ route in Bulgaria” – from crossing the Bulgarian border to obtaining international protection, as well as the refugee status determination procedure itself. Attention is also paid to various initiatives and events that marked the World Refugee Day (June 20) by the academic community and by the practitioners. This issue’s interview tells about the work and experience of the Refugee-Migrant Service of the Bulgarian Red Cross and was conducted with its Program Manager. The story of a refugee features a young Syrian artist who found inspiration in Sofia and is one of the twelve artists in the UNHCR exhibition “Beyond Differences” on the occasion of the World Refugee Day. The bulletin also presents doctoral theses exploring various refugee issues, as well as training and publications opportunities. The Republic of Turkey is presented in the “A Glance over the Border” section.
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Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants as part of the network MAGNET – Migrant Acceleration for Growth – Network for Entrepreneurship Training presents to your attention a webinar on the problems of migrant entrepreneurs and the support they need.
The webinar is part of the MAGNET project – Migrant Acceleration for Growth – Network for Entrepreneurship Training, which VUZF is implementing together with partner organizations from the EU, aiming to create a sustainable network to support the entrepreneurship of migrants.
The main speakers of the event are Prof. Dr. Daniela Bobeva and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Radostin Vazov, project leaders, lecturers at VUZF, as the main topics that will be covered are:
∙ Results of the project so far and where and what can be found on the topic of migrant entrepreneurship.
∙ Migrant entrepreneurship training – challenges and solutions.
∙ Legal framework and financing of migrant entrepreneurship.
∙ Perspectives and challenges for migration in connection with the so-called Green deal.
∙ Challenges related to Covid-19, as well as topics for future projects.
| The event will take place on July 21, 2020 from 10.30 am to 11.30 am on Google Meet platform at the following link: meet.google.com/qzj-qjmb-vtg..
Anyone who wishes to participate in the free webinar can do so by pre-expressing their wish by July 20 by e-mail: mkamenov@vuzf.bg.
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We present to your attention the Newsletter “Integration of Refugees in Bulgaria: Opportunities for Development” for the period April – June 2020.
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In the publication you will find information on the following topics:
Statistics for granted international protection in Bulgaria for the period January-May 2020
Refugees in the COVID-19 situation
▪The impact of the situation on the integration of refugees in Bulgaria, emerging needs and challenges
▪ The response of the Bulgarian organizations to deal with the challenges of the current situation
June 20 – World Refugee Day
▪Online exhibition “Beyond Differences”, organized by UNHCR – UN Refugee Agency
▪Online quiz, organized by the Bulgarian Council for Refugees and Migrants and Multi Culti Collective
▪Student happening on the occasion of June 1 – Day of all children and June 20 World Refugee Day
Long-term integration of refugees in Bulgaria and Europe
▪European benchmark for refugee integration – The new summary report on the project NIEM – National mechanism for assessment of the integration of refugees
▪ Study of the Committee of the Regions “Integration of migrants in medium and small towns and rural areas in Europe”
Management of integration and policy development
▪Analysis of the European Website on Integration (EWSI) on the policies for the integration of refugees and migrants in the EU.
▪ Non-governmental organizations with a common opinion on the Draft Action Plan for 2020 for the implementation of the National Strategy in the field of migration, asylum and integration (2015-2020)
Inclusion of refugees in policy development with a focus on urban integration
▪ The newly established UN Refugee Agency Refugee Advisory Council
Development of the information infrastructure
▪The latest website with information on the rights and obligations of newly recognized refugees and persons with humanitarian status www.refugee.bg
The Academic Community and solutions for refugee integration
▪Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants and UNHCR – UN Refugee Agency presented the first issue of the Academic Bulletin “Refugees: Today and Tomorrow”
Support for the unaccompanied refugee and migrant children
▪Miniila – The mobile application, specially adapted for the needs of unaccompanied children in migration
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