site.btaVice President Calls for Action Plan for Refugee Integration

Vice President Calls for Action Plan for Refugee Integration

Sofia, June 19 (BTA) - Vice President Margarita Popova told a
conference on Friday that Bulgaria needs an action plan for the
implementation of the National Strategy for Migration, Asylum
and Integration 2015-2020, the President's Press Secretariat
reported. Popova said that the people who have obtained
protection in Europe should have opportunities for decent living
 and should be encouraged to observe their obligations like all
other European citizens.

The conference was held under the Vice President's auspices on
the occasion of World Refugee Day (June 20) and discussed the
integration of refugees in Bulgaria. It was organized by
Bulgaria's Asylum Committee in association with the Office of
the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Bulgarian
Council on Refugees and Migrants. It was attended by UNHCR
Representative in Bulgaria Roland Weil and officials from other
international and local organizations.

Popova further stressed the need to protect vulnerable groups of
 refugees. She said it is very sad that more than half of
protection seekers in Bulgaria are women, children, elderly or
young people. These vulnerable groups most often become victims
of criminal practices such as trafficking in people and drugs,
and terrorism. "This kind of risk, which is a global risk, is a
major cause of radicalization and extremism. Therefore, we
should make efforts to protect the dignity and the rights of
asylum seekers and asylum status holders," she said.