Bulgaria lacks unified refugee policy, Vice President Iotova says

Bulgaria lacks a coherent national policy on refugees despite continued migrant flows, Vice President Iliana Iotova said on Wednesday, calling for a lead institution to coordinate integration efforts.

Speaking at a roundtable event on the effective social inclusion of refugees at Sofia University, Yotova said that responsibilities were currently spread across too many bodies, which made coordination difficult.

“Refugees are not just numbers in a table; they are living people who have lost their homes and loved ones,” she said. "For them, integration means security, the opportunity to work, study, and build a home. It also means dignity, as well as a responsibility to the host country, including respecting its laws and social norms.”

Iotova warned that insufficient integration efforts risked isolating refugee communities and turning them into 'a mini state within the state'.