site.btaCabinet Launches Initiative Aimed at Bringing Back Bulgarian Expats

The Council of Ministers has adopted a decision that effectively launches work on the return of Bulgarians living abroad, said Labour and Social Policy Minister Borislav Gutsanov at a press briefing following the government’s meeting here on Wednesday.

Gutsanov explained that the initiative will be called “I Choose Bulgaria”, with funding of more than BGN 26 million, and will be directed mainly towards Bulgarian communities abroad.

“We want to genuinely help address the problems of the demographic crisis in our country, which also affects the national economy. We see that there is a shortage of the necessary workforce and people to work in certain sectors,” Gutsanov said.

He announced that on Thursday the Employment Agency will begin accepting applications electronically from people wishing to participate. Eligible to apply will be Bulgarians who have lived abroad for at least one year out of the last 18 months, or who have completed their education abroad within the last year and a half. “We are targeting Bulgarian communities abroad. The interest is enormous,” the Minister of Labour and Social Policy stated.