site.btaExperts Discuss Opportunities for Bulgarians Returning from Abroad

Experts discussed opportunities for Bulgarians returning from abroad during the “Europe Is with Me” forum on Tuesday. The event was organized by the Human Resources Development Programme (HRDP) of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. One of the panels focused on the opportunities offered by the “I Choose Bulgaria” initiative.

A sustained trend of Bulgarians returning from abroad has been observed, said Tsvetan Spasov, Head of the Managing Authority of the HRDP. “Two or three months before we even announced ‘I Choose Bulgaria’, we began receiving dozens of emails every day from Bulgarians who had decided—or were seriously considering—returning to Bulgaria with their families,” he noted. According to him, these citizens are not merely seeking state support but are asking important questions about consultations, their children’s integration into the education system, and access to healthcare. “Their decision is based on their own assessment that the situation in Bulgaria now allows for a more normal way of life,” Spasov added.

The Employment Agency has been working for years to facilitate the return of Bulgarians from abroad and their reintegration into the domestic labour market, said the agency’s Executive Director, Smilen Valov. “In the first days after launching ‘I Choose Bulgaria’, we saw enormous interest,” he confirmed. More than 2,600 people have already submitted applications to return to their homeland, Valov emphasized. In his words, “Abroad is no longer as attractive to our compatriots as it once was.”

According to Dimitar Koparov from the Bulgarian Construction Chamber, the construction sector is in need of workers. “We are taking a small but important step in creating a tool for direct contact between employers and jobseekers,” he said. An event is scheduled for 1 November in Frankfurt, where the interest of Bulgarians living abroad will be tested. “The aim is to offer our compatriots direct opportunities for professional realisation,” Koparov explained. He also noted that the construction industry is working to attract workers from third countries, stressing that this does not conflict with the goal of encouraging Bulgarians to return from abroad.