The outgoing week will be remembered for the demonstration, on several different occasions, of a heightened interest inside the country in Bulgarians who, for one reason or another, live abroad. An interest that has always been there, but which now seems to be acquiring new dimensions.

One of the factors that set this pattern seems to be that the coalition partner in the current government – the United Patriots - is particularly sensitive to this issue. But interest in changing the policy towards Bulgarian expats is also brewing among businessmen who regard Bulgarians living abroad as a factor that will yield certain advantages in tackling a problem that has become chronic – workforce shortages.

A meeting of the Coordination Centre for Bulgarians in Ukraine was called by Deputy Prime Minister Valeri Simeonov, who is in charge of economic and demographic policy at the Council of Ministers a few days ago. That the agenda was serious is clearly illustrated by the fact that invitations were extended to the cabinet ministers and deputy ministers of foreign affairs, the interior, justice, labour and social policy, regional development and public works, health, as well as representatives of the Bulgarian Red Cross, of the National Association of Municipalities and the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad. The meeting was attended also by the chairman of the Association of Bulgarians in Ukraine Anton Kisse. The discussions focused on setting up a hotline and email address for reporting concerns and news of the position of the Bulgarian minorities in conflict areas, as well as for exchanging information about the situation in Ukraine and possible risks to the Bulgarian minority there as it evolves. Other talking points included ways to facilitate permanent residence and provide jobs in this country to Bulgarians from Ukraine. This is a task with a high degree of responsibility, seeing as the measures under discussion concern a Bulgarian community numbering over 300,000, most of whom have mixed marriages. But it is not just Bulgarians in Ukraine that the government has been turning its attention to. Valeri Simeonov stated that legislative amendments would be submitted to parliament within days, connected with the acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship by ethnic Bulgarians in other countries. The Ministry of Justice is already taking steps to streamline the cumbersome procedures – because of the red tape there are 56,000 citizenship applications still pending.

This week again the government approved draft agreements on labour migration with Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine. The documents are intended to serve as a basis for holding negotiations to regulate the employment of citizens from the three countries in Bulgaria. Once signed, they are expected to provide workers for economic sectors with workforce shortages.

Businesses have also been turning their attention to ways to tackle labour shortages by bringing in Bulgarians living abroad, and they are not sitting around waiting for the government to create favourable conditions for this. While the government was setting down steps to attract Bulgarian expats to the country, the TELUS International Europe outsourcing company launched a campaign for Bulgarians who have emigrated but want to come back and work in their country. The initiative aims to finance the return of 150 Bulgarians. It offers an initial financial package of 5,000 Leva (2,500 euro), an airline ticket, help in settling down, acquiring all documents required and finding a place to live, as well as hotel accommodation in the space of one month, if need be. The candidates will start work at the company and will be able to choose between its offices in Sofia and in Plovdiv. With 2.5 million Bulgarians now working abroad and 13,000 to 24,000 more leaving the country every year, TELUS’ initiative may seem rather modest. But only at first glance, because it shows, unequivocally at that, that the political class and businesses have the same objectives and that carries a very high potential.

The chairman of the Association of Bulgarians in Ukraine, Anton Kisse commented that the discussions held at the Coordination Centre for Bulgarians in Ukraine had brought a new momentum to the prospects of providing jobs to Bulgarians from Ukraine inside Bulgaria. The initiative by TELUS International Europe is just such an impetus, targeting Bulgarians who have emigrated more recently. It is the government’s job to bring together this momentum with others into a comprehensive, sustainable national policy.

English version: Milena Daynova