Three Bulgarian organisations – the Multi Kulti Collective, the Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants and the UNHCR office in Bulgaria – began the co-creation of the country’s first Refugee Integration Manifesto on 30 November 2021 at the National Refugee Integration Forum held in Sofia.

The event marked the beginning of a 6-month inclusive and collaborative process during which an innovative programming document will be developed. This document will be used as a key advocacy tool at the national level, and will consist of two parts – a general part and a part containing a number of concrete proposals for legal amendments. All relevant stakeholders, including refugees themselves, will be invited to participate through a series of expert meetings as well as online consultations.

The document will highlight the leading role of the state, including its local municipalities. It will also develop a model in which both refugee and local communities will be able to benefit from two-way integration.

The Refugee Integration Manifesto will cover all key aspects of refugee integration, grouped into four areas (as in the NIEM project methodology):

1. General conditions
a. Impact of reception on integration
b. Mainstreaming and integration governance

2. Legal integration
a. Residency
b. Family unity and reunification
c. Access to effective nationality

3. Socio-economic integration
a. Housing
b. Employment
c. Vocational training and employment-related education
d. Health
e. Public relief and social security

4. Socio-cultural integration
a. Children’s education
b. Language learning and social orientation
c. Building bridges and fostering participation

The Refugee Integration Manifesto is expected to be delivered in May 2022. It is developed within the framework of EU project NIEM – National Integration Evaluation Mechanism, financed by the EU.