Who we are?
The Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants (BCRM) was founded in 2005 by the Bulgarian Red Cross, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and Caritas-Bulgaria as a platform of their activities related to the refugee and migration policy, protection and integration of refugees and migrants.
In 2007, the Association for Integration of Refugees and Migrants joined the BCRM.
The BCRM, as an association of organisations of longstanding experience and professional competency has the capacity to influence and support the social transformation towards efficient protection and integration of refugees and migrants.
Vision
The Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants (BCRM) is committed to the establishment of a fair and efficient asylum and migration system, with the active role of the civil society.
The policy and practice for protection, reception and integration of refugees and migrants in Bulgaria includes and applies the internationally recognized principles and standards based on respect for human rights and human dignity.
Mission
The Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants (BCRM) works to ensure the sustainable role of the civil society organisations in the system for protection, reception and integration of refugees and migrants in Bulgaria.
The BCRM is focused on building a system where every person may freely participate in all spheres of activities of the Bulgarian society, based on the principles of equality, non-discrimination and tolerance.
The BCRM shall develop and strengthen the cooperation and partnership between the state institutions, local authorities and non-governmental organizations for legal and social protection to refugees and migrants.
The BCRM shall encourage intercultural dialogue, tolerance and non-discrimination towards refugees and migrants.
Principles
Protection and guarantee of human rights and freedom
The BCRM stands by the right of every person to receive protection for reasons of race, religion, nationality, belonging to a definite social group or political opinion or activity in defense of internationally recognized rights and freedoms, is an expression of the international protection for guaranteeing human rights and freedoms.
Non-discrimination
The BCRM stands by the principle of non-discrimination. Refugees and migrants are entitled to respect of their dignity, fair attitude, and to protection of all other rights recognized by national and international law.
Respect for ethnical
and cultural diversity
The BCRM stands by the principle of the right of people to keep their ethnical, language and religious identity and follows policies that recognize and defend the existence of these identities as the only sustainable approach to the development of diversified societies.
Partnership and
cooperation
The BCRM advances the principle of cooperation and constructive dialogue with state authorities and institutions, and non-governmental organizations as the only possible method of finding durable and fair solutions for refugees and migrants.
Transparency
The work of the BCRM is organized on the principle of transparency and the right of the member organizations to equally take part in the decision-making, monitoring and evaluation processes, which guarantees the legitimacy of the organization management.
Structure
General Assembly
General Assembly comprises of individual representatives of all member agencies. Under the Statute individual representatives are the persons that head the member agencies. General Assembly convenes annually.
Present Statutory Representatives:
Krasimir Kanev
Chairperson of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
Hristo Grigorov
President of the Bulgarian Red Cross
Monsignor Rumen Stanev
President of Caritas-Bulgaria
Vera Zaharieva
President of the Association for Integration of Refugees and Migrants
Executive Board
Members of the Board are nominated by the General Assembly. Founder agencies are mandatory represented in the Board. Decisions are taken by simple majority vote.
Present Executive Board members:
Vera Zaharieva
President of the Association for Integration of Refugees and Migrants
Emanuil Patashev
Secretary General of Caritas-Bulgaria
Iliana Savova
Director Refugee Migrant Unit of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
Nela Vamporova
Head Refugee Migrant Service of the Bulgarian Red Cross
Chairperson of the Executive Board
Elected by the General Assembly to represent and manage the BCRM when the Board is in recess.
Kina Sabeva
Present Chairperson
Previous occupations: 1996 – 2005 UNHCR Programme Officer; 1995 – 1996 Head of the Refugee and Migrant Service, Red Cross
Iliana Savova
Present Secretary
Secretary of the Executive Board
Elected by the General Assembly to assist the Chairperson and the Board.
Elitsa Sekulova
Present Snr Finance Officer
Administrative/Financial Officer