Module 2 - Laws and Rules

Comenius project “Mind the Gap – Migration Needs Integration”

(2008-2010)

Fourth Language School “Frederic Joliot-Curie”, Varna

The current migration situation in Bulgaria has the characteristicfeatures typical of the EU Member States acceded from Southern Europe,which had turned soon from countries of emigration into countries attractingimmigrants.

National Strategy on Migration and Integration,

developed for the period from 2008 to 2015

The Bulgarian immigration policy is applied in support of economic

development. The national interest on this issue requires active efforts to

attract foreign citizens of Bulgarian origin in the first place. Legislative

initiatives are to be adopted in this direction in order to improve the

opportunities for their settlement, education, or labor in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria takes into account the multi-aspect nature of the migration and

integration of immigrants. The reception of economic immigrants is an integral part

of the set of integration measures, on the one hand, as well as the measures to

combat illegal immigration and illegal employment, on the other hand.

The Bulgarian migration policy, which is based on the principles of the protection

of the human rights of the migrants, of the democracy and on the supremacy of the

law, leads to the respect, tolerance and estimation of the positive contribution of the

migrants as a part of the Bulgarian society.

Basic Principles for the Strategy Implementation

- Legitimacy, expediency and efficiency

- Transparency;

- Flexibility;

- Partnership;

- Monitoring and Control.

STRATEGIC GOAL 1

Attraction of persons with Bulgarian citizenship, living on the territory of other countries, as well as of persons of Bulgarian origin with Foreign Citizenship – for permanent return and settlement in the Republic of Bulgaria

Steps:

- adoption of new laws related to the acquisition of Bulgarian

citizenship, identity documents, civil registration, Law for Foreign

Nationals in the Republic of Bulgaria, Law for Bulgarians living

outside the Republic of Bulgaria;

- information support;

-coordination among the institutions involved in the permanent settlement process

and the mechanisms for the integrated management of this process;

-creation of a favorable social and psychological climate for the integration of

immigrants of Bulgarian origin.

PRIORITY I:

Permanent return to the country of the persons with Bulgarian Citizenship

living on the territory of other countries

Measure

Program for permanent return to the country of persons with Bulgarian

Citizenship living on the territory of other countries

PRIORITY II:

Permanent attraction and settlement in the country of persons with

Bulgarian origin and Foreign Citizenship.

Measure

Program for permanent attraction and settlement in the country of persons

with Bulgarian origin and Foreign Citizenship.

STRATEGIC GOAL II: Realization and implementation of adequate policy on

acceptance and integration of foreigners and application of efficient control of the

migration processes.

PRIORITY I: Balanced acceptance of foreigners and achieving of successful

integration of the accepted foreigners.

-Direction I: Legislation – Review, Analysis and Updating

-Direction II: Identification of the labor market needs of labor

force, which is unavailable permanently at the Bulgarian Labor

Market.

-Direction III: Regulated acceptance of foreigners –

identification of mechanisms for acceptance and integration of

Third Country Nationals.

-Direction IV: Implementation of consistent and stable policy

on refugees, seeking asylum or protection.

PRIORITY II: Reaching controlled migration and fighting against illegal immigration

-Direction I: Effective control of the external borders.

-Direction II: Effective fighting the trafficking of people

-Direction III: Repatriation policy .

The full integration of third country nationals into the

Bulgarian society is achieved with the purposeful support of the

institutions responsible for the reception of the immigrants,

media, local authorities, workers’ and employers’ organizations,

nongovernmental organizations, the academic community,

etc.In Bulgaria already operates successfully the National Program for the

Integration of Refugees. The program is a reliable instrument which could be

adjusted to and implemented even in a larger scale – in relation to larger groups of

immigrants.

Basic language, historical, and civil knowledge are acquired by means of

specialized courses on social adaptation and cultural orientation whose main aim is

to “assemble” the most appropriate “toolkit” to start the integration process.

Participation in such programs enables immigrants to find quickly their place in key

fields such as job, accommodation, education and health, to orient themselves in a

better way in the administrative system and assists the beginning of a long-term

process of adaptation to the Bulgarian society while preserving their cultural and

ethnic identity.

Thank you for the attention!

Bulgarian MINT Project Team

Fourth Language School “Frederic Joliot-Curie”, VarnaFebruary 2010

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held

responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.