News and events 2022

28/03
2022

International Partnership Meeting on the project Refu’In – Innovative Tools for Inclusion of Refugees

On March 22 and 23, the Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants hosted an international partnership meeting on the Refu’In project – Innovative tools for integration of refugees.

During the meeting, participants outlined the next steps in developing innovative tools for refugee inclusion, the role of good practices, and partnerships between stakeholders as a basis for building innovation for effective integration of refugees. The participants addressed the challenges for the integration of refugees in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the growing number of refugees.

The representatives of the leading organization CRESCER (Portugal), Programma Integra (Italy), Arci Catania (Italy), and the Ostersund Municipality (Sweden) attended the meeting.

The Refu’In project for developing innovative tools for the integration of refugees – is funded by the Erasmus + program and is part of the strategic efforts of partner organizations to build capacity to work with refugees and displaced persons.

 

24/03
2022

No road taxes, tolls and vignettes for people running from the war in Ukraine

All types of vehicles in the Republic of Ukraine are exempt from tolls – electronic vignette and toll, when using the national road network in Bulgaria.

From the payment of vignette fee and toll fee, regardless of its category and technical characteristics, are exempt road vehicles of Ukraine as follows:

  • all road vehicles, regardless of their category and technical characteristics, which use the paid road infrastructure on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, for the purpose of providing humanitarian aid;
  • all road vehicles, regardless of their category and technical characteristics, constituting convoys intended for humanitarian or medical assistance.

The period in which the measure for exemption from tolls will be in force is from February 24, 2022 until the need for humanitarian and medical assistance is eliminated.

24/03
2022

Information for hotel owners regarding accommodation of displaced persons from Ukraine

The announcement below concerns hotel owners and operators that would like to apply for humanitarian aid program for financing full-board accommodation of displaced persons from Ukraine.

 

Accommodation places registered in the National Tourist Register are welcome to join the Program for humanitarian aid for full-board accommodation of displaced persons from Ukraine, who seek temporary protection in the Republic of Bulgaria, as a result of the war in the Republic of Ukraine.

According to Council of Ministers Decision № 145 from 10.03.2022, hotel owners and operators wishing to accommodate displaced persons from Ukraine shall apply to join the Program by following a couple of simple steps:

  1. Download and fill-in the accommodation capacity template form (Microsoft Excel file)
  2. Send the filled-in form to the following e-mail address: ua.displaced@tourism.government.bg

 

Download the template from this link.

22/03
2022

Registration for temporary protection – Ukrainian citizens and third country nationals coming from Ukraine

Інформація українською мовою доступна тут

  • Ukrainian citizens residing in Ukraine before February 24, 2022 and members of their families;
  • Nationals of other third countries (other than Ukraine) and stateless people who have used their right to international protection or another equivalent type of national protection in Ukraine before 24 February 2022, and members of their families;
  • Persons with foreign citizenship or statelessness who left the territory of Ukraine as a result of hostilities and entered and remained on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, if they explicitly state that they want to enjoy the status of temporary protection until March 31, 2022.

 

  • The procedure takes 5 to 15 minutes and temporary protection is provided immediately
  • Temporary protection is granted upon oral request to the Border Police, the State Agency for Refugees or other bodies of the Ministry of Interior (migration, police), to people who meet the conditions above.

 

  • Right to stay on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria;
  • Right to written information in plain language about the rules and conditions of temporary protection;
  • If you are granted temporary protection, you receive:
    – Right to registration card of a foreigner who has been granted temporary protection – for the term of protection;
    – Right to reunite with one’s family;
    – Right to work and professional training;
    – The right to education for students and the right to access kindergarten for children under 6 years of age;
    – The right to appropriate accommodation or means of accommodation if necessary;
    – Right to assistance for accommodation and meals in accommodation places registered in the National Tourist Register, in the total amount of BGN 40 without VAT per person per night and food / breakfast, lunch and dinner /, incl. tourist tax, which is paid to the service provider. The aid will be provided for a period of up to 3 months. The same rights will have the persons who have expressed a desire to access the labor market in the country and this assistance will be provided for up to 1 month from the date of application. The period of validity of the program is expected to be from 24.02.2022 to 31.05.2022.
  • Right to social assistance;
  • Right to medical care in emergencies
    – People from vulnerable groups – children under 18, unaccompanied children, pregnant women, single parents with minors, the elderly and people with disabilities, serious health problems, mental disorders victims of trafficking or suffering torture, rape or other severe forms of violence – have the right to full medical care as Bulgarian citizens.

 

On the map below, you will be able to see all of the active places in Bulgaria where, you can apply and get a document for temporary protection, and find the closes one to you. The map is updated constantly with new places.

 

Map of Registration Offices for Temporary Protection

Since 15th of March 2022 the Bulgarian government started to roll-out a new system for registration for temporary protection of people displaced from Ukraine. New locations will be made available every day, along with the ongoing training of additional staff and deployment of new equipment. The prioritization of the roll-out is based on the number of displaced people from Ukraine currently accommodated in different places across the country, as well as on the statistics for the “hot spots” at border-crossing points and railway stations. The map below will be updated on a daily basis to reflect the roll-out of all new registration offices for temporary protection.

The registration offices are featured  in the BCRM Mapping System.

 

 

17/03
2022

The latest AIDA country report on Bulgaria

We present to your attention the latest AIDA (Asylum Information Database) country report on Bulgaria, which provides a detailed overview on legislative and practice-related developments in asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention of asylum seekers and content of international protection in 2021.

 

  • The full report is available in English online
  • The summary of the report is available in Bulgarian online

 

15/03
2022

Coalition meeting “System for integration of refugees”

On 11 March, the Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants, the Multi Culti, and the UNHCR Representation in Bulgaria held a coalition meeting on the “Refugee Integration System.” Representatives of leading NGOs in the field of refugee protection and integration and local authorities with experience and expertise in refugee integration projects and agreements for the integration of beneficiaries of international protection attended the meeting.

Participants discussed the opportunities for developing a sustainable mechanism for refugee integration and the strengthening cooperation between state authorities, public institutions, and NGOs. Discussions focused on the National and European funding of the system for refugee integration and the possibilities of delegating related activities to NGOs.  The meeting focused on the link between the initial adaptation of asylum seekers and the subsequent comprehensive integration measures after granting protection.   Participants discussed the challenges related to the reception of refugees from Ukraine and the specificities related to the granting of international protection or temporary protection.

The meeting is part of a series of key activities related to developing a Manifesto for Refugee Integration in Bulgaria – a strategic policy document to advocate for an effective mechanism for refugee integration in Bulgaria and socio-economic development at the local level.

The event was organized within the  Advocacy for the Integration of Refugees in Bulgaria project, funded by UNHCR, and the National Mechanism for the Integration of Refugees in Bulgaria project (NIEM), funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund of the EU.

28/02
2022

Refugee law – the first attempt at a systematic analysis of the legal framework and practice in the field of asylum and international refugee protection

We bring to your attention the latest book in the field of international refugee protection, “Refugee Law.”

 

Refugee law is relatively new for Bulgaria, insofar as its legislation and implementation have been developing since the ratification of the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees in 1992.

 

The author of the book is lawyer Iliana Savova – Member of the Executive Board of the Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants, as a representative of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee. Iliana Savova has been an asylum and migration lawyer since 1996, coordinator of the National Refugee Legal Network since 1997, and Director of the Refugee and Migrant Legal Protection Programme since 2001. Iliana Savova is a lecturer on refugee and immigration law at the Centre for  Training of Lawyers “Krustyu Tsonchev.”

 

 

25/02
2022

Forum – expert meeting on integration of refugees in Bulgaria

On February 23, the Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants organized a forum-meeting of experts on the integration of refugees in Bulgaria with a focus on existing practices and innovations in the field. The event was attended by leading experts from UNHCR Bulgaria, NGOs working on the topic at the local and national level, as well as municipalities with expertise on the topic. The meeting highlighted the opportunities to improve integration policies through the existing positive experience and good practices, and outlined the next steps to build a sustainable mechanism for the integration of refugees. The event is part of the strategic efforts of the Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants for advocacy and capacity building of the non-governmental sector, municipalities and all other stakeholders for the integration of refugees and development at local and national level. The forum is part of the Refu’In project – An innovative tool for inclusion of refugees, funded by Erasmus+ with a leading organization CRESCER and partners from Italy and Sweden.

23/02
2022

Academic Bulletin “Refugees: Today and Tomorrow”, is now included the National Reference List of Contemporary Bulgarian Scientific Publications with Scientific Review

The Academic Bulletin “Refugees: Today and Tomorrow”, developed by the Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants was included the National Reference List of Contemporary Bulgarian Scientific Publications with Scientific Review.The academic bulletin “Refugees: Today and Tomorrow” is the only specialized publication in Bulgaria that offers an in-depth but multidisciplinary look at the topic of forced migration.In less than two years, the Academic Bulletin “Refugees: Today and Tomorrow” has acquired considerable interest from both academia and practitioners working on the topic the refugee issues, on a both nationally and internationally.

All issues are available online in the Academic Portal.

21/01
2022

Good practices of cooperation for the integration of refugees into the EU

We present to your attention the latest edition of the Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants – the digest “Good practices of cooperation for the integration of refugees into the EU”.

 

Download in PDF

 

 

 

This collection is the product of a study of experience in European Union countries.

 

The collection is a compilation and presents examples of fruitful cooperation on projects and activities for the integration of refugees. The information and the footage were collected from publicly available sources.

 

The good practices presented can be used as a starting point for planning and applying for European funds and programmes available at both national and European level.

 

The collection includes projects and initiatives that have proven successful, sustainable and could be replicated. Their publication aims to promote the exchange of knowledge and ideas for cooperation and partnership for the integration of refugees among all stakeholders, including experts, practitioners, and beneficiaries.

 

The guiding principle of BCRM in the selection of good practices is that their implementation and implementation will benefit both refugees and the local population.