On 22 March 2023 IOM Bulgaria held an information session in the city of Plovdiv for people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

The event started with a presentation from a legal expert on key topics of interest for the Ukrainian refugees such as the Asylum and Refugee Law in Bulgaria, the rights and obligations of people with Temporary Protection in the country, access to the labour market, labour legislation and types of work contracts, access to healthcare for refugees from Ukraine, the Road traffic act in Bulgaria. The participants were, furthermore, informed about the various state institutions that can provide information and assistance.

The attendees actively participated and posed various questions and topics for discussion, drawing on their own experience, concerns and future plans. The audience was particularly diverse and included people from various social occupations, age groups and backgrounds.

The final part of the event was dedicated to informing the attendees about the IOM Bulgaria’s activities in response to the crisis in Ukraine such as one-time financial aid, food vouchers distribution to families with children, healthcare support and the free Bulgarian language training that IOM Bulgaria provides to citizens of Ukraine and people fleeing the war in the country.

IOM Bulgaria's Ukraine Response activities are realised with the support of The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of the U.S. Department of State, UK Aid Direct, funded by the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.