On 11 March, the Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants, the Multi Culti, and the UNHCR Representation in Bulgaria held a coalition meeting on the “Refugee Integration System.” Representatives of leading NGOs in the field of refugee protection and integration and local authorities with experience and expertise in refugee integration projects and agreements for the integration of beneficiaries of international protection attended the meeting.

Participants discussed the opportunities for developing a sustainable mechanism for refugee integration and the strengthening cooperation between state authorities, public institutions, and NGOs. Discussions focused on the National and European funding of the system for refugee integration and the possibilities of delegating related activities to NGOs.  The meeting focused on the link between the initial adaptation of asylum seekers and the subsequent comprehensive integration measures after granting protection.   Participants discussed the challenges related to the reception of refugees from Ukraine and the specificities related to the granting of international protection or temporary protection.

The meeting is part of a series of key activities related to developing a Manifesto for Refugee Integration in Bulgaria – a strategic policy document to advocate for an effective mechanism for refugee integration in Bulgaria and socio-economic development at the local level.

The event was organized within the  Advocacy for the Integration of Refugees in Bulgaria project, funded by UNHCR, and the National Mechanism for the Integration of Refugees in Bulgaria project (NIEM), funded by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund of the EU.