European fund to provide 1.4M leva for integration of immigrants in Bulgaria

More than 1.4 million leva (about 700 000 euro) from the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals will be used for the integration of immigrants in Bulgaria, the country’s Employment Agency said on December 18.

This integration of third-country nationals – meaning those from countries that are not members of the EU – will involve a wide range of measures, including teaching them the Bulgarian language, history, civic orientation, and developing ways to monitor and evaluate progress in integrating immigrants.

For the first time, the European Integration Fund in Bulgaria is to support measures aimed at highly skilled immigrants. This is intended to encourage educated citizens who have chosen Bulgaria as their second homeland to stay in the country, according to the Employment Agency.

The money also will be used for “continued strengthening” of information centres for immigrants established using the fund in previous annual programmes, to ensure their sustainability, the statement said.

Further, for the first time the funds will also be used to establish and maintain international contacts and for visits and meetings of experts, to exchange experience in the field of integration, the agency said.

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