FOCUS ON REFUGEE INTEGRATION AND PUBLIC SECURITY IN SOFIA

On 26.09.2023 SDA hosted a meeting of the Monitoring Committee at the Sofia Municipal Council on Penalties and Detention. The Commission includes experts from different directorates and institutions in the municipality who work in the field of internal order and security, crime prevention within groups at risk, social assistance, etc. At the invitation of the committee, SDA presented its activities in the field of integration of refugees and migrants, the Bureau for Information and Services for Third-Country Nationals, as well as various issues related to the coordination and management of integration processes in the city. The participants discussed possibilities to track more effectively the integration itineraries of international status holders who have settled in the capital so that they can receive timely and necessary integration services, as well as to ensure that they will not become victims of crime. The meeting was also attended by the Ombudsperson of Sofia Municipality, the institution is key for ensuring equal access of refugees and migrants to public services and protection of their rights.

The meeting is part of the capacity building activities of local authorities in the field of integration, included in the project "Support for the development of integration policies and services for refugees in Sofia", funded by UNHCR – Bulgaria.

The project Support for the Development of Integration Policy Framework and Service Provision for Refugees in Sofia is supported by UNHCR – Bulgaria.

THE NEXT GENERATION OF SOFIA CITIZENS

On September 18, 2023, the public discussion "The Next Generation of Sofia Citizens" was held at the American Center of Sofia Library, organized by Sofia Development Association, with the participation of representatives of various refugee communities, Sofia Municipality, the UNHCR, the Bulgarian Red Cross, NGOs and students from Sofia.

Our guests and speakers were Valentina Solodkaya, who fled the war in Ukraine to Sofia; Rodi Namo, who was also forced to leave his home in Syria because of the war in his homeland; Fay Eshkevari from Iran, a journalist and women's rights advocate; Eric David Holsey from the USA, who found his way to Bulgaria because of his love of history and has been talking about our country's past on his blog for almost ten years. Special guests were also the students from the National School of Finance and Economics in Sofia, who in June this year won a hackathon organized by Sofia Development Association and dedicated to the topic of inclusion and integration of refugees. Photographs taken by Alexander Aleksov from the same high school during their school campaign were exhibited in the library.

Discussion moderator Yuriy Valkovski prompted our guests to reflect on the questions what does it mean to be a Sofiyaner? Is it easy to love Sofia? Favourite and less favorite spots in the city? Of course, the city looks different in the eyes and hearts of each of the "new" Sofiyaners. For Fay Eshkeveri, the urban environment is both welcoming, but also in certain spaces limiting. Sofia's parks and the opportunity to interact with different people, have access to arts, sports and entertainment within walking distance is of utmost importance to Eric. Music and dance make Rodi Namo smile and are one of his ways of making new friends. The feeling of freedom and safety, of being able to go out on the street without fear, and the ease with which children make new friendships, make Valentina Solodka's life meaningful today.

There are challenges in the path of the new residents, it was made clear by Boris Cheshirkov (UNHCR). Challenges both in terms of the development of the city and the integration of refugees. Nevertheless, there is a growing network of people and organizations that partner to welcome and support refugees. Specifically, Sofia Municipality has created many new forms of support and opportunities for integration, one of which is the Bureau for Information and Services for Third Country Nationals.

In the end, the participants in the discussion united around the idea of Sofia as an "open city", as Malina Edreva, chairperson of the Standing Committee on Education, Culture, Science and Cultural Diversity at the Sofia Municipal Council, aptly put it. A city in which we must continue to create conditions and opportunities for dialogue and exchange between different communities and different cultures, without fear and without prejudice.

The discussion "The Next Generation of Sofia Citizens" takes place in the framework of the project "Support for the Development of Integration Policies and Services for Refugees in Sofia," funded by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in Bulgaria. We will have more discussions and meetings with people who have chosen Sofia and Bulgaria to be their home. To get involved, follow our posts on this website, on the SofiaLab website, and become part of the Viber group through which we share news and event invitations.

The project Support for the Development of Integration Policy Framework and Service Provision for Refugees in Sofia is supported by UNHCR – Bulgaria.

CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES SEPTEMBER 2023 IN THE BUREAU FOR INFORMATION AND SERVICES FOR THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS

During the month of August more than 150 people from different countries such as Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Guinea and Palestine have found help and support at the Bureau for Information and Services for Third Country Nationals by taking advantage of the services provided there. For the second consecutive month, the most requested service by visitors to the office was assistance with protection procedures, followed by legal, financial, and humanitarian assistance.

The official website of the Bureau offers a monthly program that describes the different activities by day and time. The content of this program is in several languages: Bulgarian, English, French, Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, and Persian.

You can find the program for September in Bulgarian HERE

You can find the program for September in Ukrainian HERE 

You can find the program for September in English HERE 

You can find the program for September in French HERE 

You can find the program for September in Russian HERE 

You can find the program for September in Arabic HERE 

You can find the program for September in Farsi HERE

The project Support for the Development of Integration Policy Framework and Service Provision for Refugees in Sofia is supported by UNHCR – Bulgaria.

“THE BUREAU FOR INFORMATION AND SERVICES FOR THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS” IS NOW ON VIBER!

The "Bureau for Information and Services for Third Country Nationals" now has its own channel on the communication platform "Viber". The channel will share information on the various activities and services offered by the Bureau, as well as on upcoming and past events related to the integration of refugees and migrants.
Join the channel so you can quickly and easily receive any information related to the activities of the Bureau by scanning the QR code or simply following the link.

The link to join the channel on Viber:
https://invite.viber.com/?g2=AQAYP2ZbsHQbr1FT39hmriZ652oXh46Dm8SRwfGuFfGUAPvYkx1ILAXnoLs17zrC&lang=en

The project Support for the Development of Integration Policy Framework and Service Provision for Refugees in Sofia is supported by UNHCR – Bulgaria.

CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES AUGUST 2023 IN THE BUREAU FOR INFORMATION AND SERVICES FOR THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS

During the month of July more than 110 people from different countries such as Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, and Albania have found help and support at the Bureau for Information and Services for Foreign Nationals, taking advantage of the services provided there. The most requested service for the month was assistance with protection procedures, followed by humanitarian, legal, and financial assistance.

The official website of the bureau offers a monthly program that describes the different activities by day and time. The content of this program is in several languages: Bulgarian, English, French, Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, and Persian.

You can find the program for August in Bulgarian HERE

You can find the program for August in Ukrainian HERE 

You can find the program for August in English HERE 

You can find the program for August in French HERE 

You can find the program for August in Russian HERE 

You can find the program for August in Arabic HERE 

You can find the program for August in Farsi HERE

The project Support for the Development of Integration Policy Framework and Service Provision for Refugees in Sofia is supported by UNHCR – Bulgaria.