Who we are?

The Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants (BCRM) was founded in 2005 by the Bulgarian Red Crossthe 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