On April 16, 2021, a webinar was held on the topic of The role of the Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants (BCRM) for the protection and integration of refugees.
The meeting was opened by Assist. Professor Dr.Kremena Yordanova, Lecturer, Department of Ethnology, Sofia University.
Mr. Narasimha Rao, Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Bulgaria, addressed the participants of the event.
The webinar was attended by Professor Dr. Irina Koleva, lecturer at the Department of Ethnology, Sofia University.
Dr. Kina Sabeva, Chairperson of the BCRM, was the keynote speaker of the event. Dr. Sabeva presented the BCRM founded in 2005 by the Bulgarian Red Cross, the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, and Caritas Bulgaria as a platform for their activities related to the refugee and migration policy, protection and integration of refugees and migrants. She stated that the BCRM, as an association of organisations of longstanding experience and professional competency can influence and support the social transformation towards efficient protection and integration of refugees and migrants. The implemented activities of the BCRM include advocacy, capacity development, coalition building and partnerships, awareness-raising, and creating a supportive environment for the protection and integration of refugees.
The BCRM team presented information infrastructure for the integration of refugees in Bulgaria as a key element of advocacy and to assist stakeholders in making informed decisions for the development of a fair and effective system for integration of beneficiaries of international protection.
The presented topics provoked a lively discussion. The webinar was held within the framework of the European Project National Integration Evaluation Mechanism (NIEM), in which the BCRM and the Multi Kulti Collective are national partners.
Future cooperation and the possible signing of a memorandum of partnership and joint activities were discussed.