site.btaLegal Syrian Migrants Protest in Sofia оver Visa Procedures for Family Members

Legal Syrian migrants in Bulgaria Monday rallied outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sofia for a protest aiming to draw attention to the delays and refusals of visas for their family members. The protesters held signs reading “Our dream is to see our families together again” and “We dream of a home that brings us together with love and peace.” There was an increased police presence in the area.

Bulgarian consulates in Turkiye, Lebanon, and Jordan are delaying responses on whether they would issue family reunification visas for Syrian citizens legally residing in Bulgaria, and often visas are denied without valid reasons, said Ehsan Moazen, whose family has been waiting for approval for more than six months. He called for shorter processing times and more transparency in the decision-making process.

According to him, these are families of Syrians with humanitarian status in Bulgaria. The right to family reunification in the country is guaranteed by the European directive and the Asylum and Refugees Act, he noted. Moazen emphasized that most people waiting for their families in Bulgaria respect their rights and obligations as residents of the country.

He believes that the reason for the refusals is that institutions assume the visas will be used by Syrian citizens to transit through Bulgaria to another EU country, and added that they want to stay in Bulgaria with their families. 

The protesting Syrian citizens hoped that the refusals of visas for their family members would come to an end.