site.btaLabour Minister and Turkiye's Ambassador in Sofia Discuss Cooperation in Labour Market

Caretaker Minister of Labour and Social Policy Ivaylo Ivanov held a meeting with Turkiye's Ambassador in Sofia Mehmet Sait Uyanik, Ivanov's Ministry reported here on Thursday. The two officials discussed opportunities for the development of bilateral cooperation between their countries in the labour market.

The main topic on the agenda was the opportunities to facilitate access to the Bulgarian labour market for workers from Turkiye and other non-EU Member States. Ivanov stressed that the Ministry of Labour is continuously working on easing the procedures for access to the labour market for third-country nationals, while Bulgaria complies with European legislation.

Changes to the Labour Migration and Labour Mobility Act came into force on May 1, 2024, which eased procedures for seasonal employment of third-country nationals.

Ivanov reported that more than 93,000 third-country workers and professionals have been allowed access to the Bulgarian labour market over the past five years. Since the beginning of 2023, more than 13,000 Turkish nationals have been granted work permits to Bulgaria.