An order of the Minister of Labour and Social Policy of Bulgaria has extended the National Refugee Employment and Training Programme in 2020. It has two main goals:

1. Supporting the labour market integration of foreigners who have been granted international protection by increasing their employability through inclusion in Bulgarian language training, vocational training and the provision of subsidised employment;
2. Increasing the capacity of the transit and reception centers, municipal and regional administrations for work with refugees.

Eligible beneficiaries under the programme are:

• Unemployed persons who have received international protection in 2020 or in the last two calendar years and are registered in the Labour Office;
• Unemployed persons who possess appropriate qualification and professional experience and are registered in the Labour Office.

The programme is implemented throughout Bulgaria. While the programme was established with a ministerial order from 2016, only a few refugees received subsidised employment in 2018 and 2019, and Bulgarian language training hasn’t been organised due to the lack of funding.