site.btaRefugee Agency Chair, UN Commissioner for Refugees Bulgaria Discuss Refugee Integration

"We are working in the same field. That is why it is important that our joint work and active partnership continue," the chairman of the State Agency for Refugees (SAR) at the Council of Ministers, Ivan Ivanov, said during a meeting with the Bulgaria Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Seda Kuzucu, quoted in a press release by the SAR on Friday.

The integration and inclusion of those seeking international protection in Bulgaria were highlighted as very important during the conversation.

Seda Kuzucu congratulated the chairman of the SAR on the pilot project for the development of alternative social services for refugee children, presented on July 29 at the Council of Ministers. "I have always emphasized that safe zones for children in the centres are a necessary but temporary solution and that the right way forward is to create alternative care for children based on the Child Protection Act," said Kuzucu.

"UNHCR fully recognizes the importance of efforts to integrate and include refugees in Bulgaria, especially as a country that is an external border of the European Union. We highly appreciate the support of the SAR for the Compass network of protection and inclusion centres and emphasize that the provision of services outside the Registration and Reception Centres is key not only to building sustainable communities but also to promoting social cohesion," Kuzucu noted.

The issues discussed included the necessary legislative changes, including the active work of the SAR on the new Asylum and Refugees Act, digitization in this sector, the emergency preparedness plan, the development of a national reception strategy, and UNHCR's readiness to provide technical support and expertise for training.