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Project goals

1. Assessing the information needs of marginalised Roma communities on migration in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) and on asylum issues in Bulgaria.

2. Raising the awareness in Roma communities about the rights and obligations of refugees, irregular migrants and asylum seekers in Bulgaria, including what the consequences are for violations of national legislation related to cases of asylum and migration (consequences for supporting and participating in smuggling and/or human trafficking networks).

3. Familiarising the community with the legal requirements for staying and working in EU/EEA countries, such as accommodation requirements, childcare benefits, access to education, access to social and health benefits.

Overall project objective:

The aim of the project is to contribute to raising the awareness of the Roma population regarding legislation regulating asylum and migration, as well as the risk of abuse and exploitation in Bulgaria, the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA).

The target group will receive information on their rights and obligations when legally migrating to EU/EEA countries and increase their knowledge on asylum and migration related topics, such as human trafficking and smuggling, risk of labour exploitation in the EU/EEA and protection from exploitation, conditions of stay and work, access to social and health services, etc.

Project target groups:

Roma communities in Bulgaria characterized by lower educational level, lower understanding of legal issues, higher unemployment rates, lack of resources or lower income compared to the national average. These are all factors that combine to create segregated and marginalised neighbourhoods exposed to extreme poverty, discrimination, limited access to services, lack of security and high crime rates, thus encouraging high-risk ventures and delinquency. In addition, information campaigns aimed at raising awareness of the rights and obligations of asylum seekers in Bulgaria and the risks associated with facilitating smuggling and human trafficking will target Roma communities in areas close to the country's border zones or those located along internal migrant traffic routes from Bulgaria's southern to western and northern borders.

Project Activities:

  • Development of a comprehensive analysis/assessment of the situation of Roma communities in relation to migration in order to tailor the topics to be covered in project activities, accordingly; Organisation of information campaigns to raise awareness among Roma communities on legal aspects related to the rights of asylum seekers and undocumented migrants in Bulgaria, including human trafficking and smuggling;
  • Organisation of information sessions, discussions, workshops, seminars, and other events to raise awareness of issues related to working in the EU/EEA, risk and protection from exploitation, including risk of trafficking for labour exploitation and smuggling, access to social and health services, etc.

Start date: 30 April 2020
Closing date: 30 April 2024
Implementation period: 48 months
 

PARTNERS

ACHIEVED RESULTS

The objectives of the project, the activities implemented throughout, and the concrete outcome have directly contributed to raising the awareness of the Roma community in Bulgaria on specific topics related to migration and asylum. On the one hand, the project activities have raised the awareness of the Roma community about the offences committed in facilitating the illegal migration of third-country nationals to Bulgaria and through Bulgaria to the EU/EEA, including the illegal activities of providing false addresses to migrants, providing temporary accommodation illegally, providing means of transport and assistance for the transportation of irregular migrants on the territory of Bulgaria, the dangers of human trafficking, and the prevention of this illegal activity, etc. On the other hand, the project activities have contributed directly to addressing the lack of information and knowledge among the Roma community regarding their rights and obligations in case of possible migration of citizens of Roma origin to EU/EEA countries, including their rights and obligations upon arrival on the territory of the country concerned, their rights and obligations related to the right to work, the right to legal residence, rights and obligations related to social and health insurance, access to education, etc.

Results in numbers:
  • 73 info sessions held with 2148 participants
  • 27 information campaigns that reached 680 individuals
  • Social media campaign (promotion of animated video "5 misconceptions about living and working abroad"): 234,894 reached individuals and 74,681 video views
External publications on the project
Analysis of the results from the survey carried out as part of the project 

Migration - Perception and Reality - Prof. Maja Grekova

Related Content

Roma migration - Photo gallery from the project's implementation
VIDEO - 5 misconceptions about living and working abroad
Roma migration - information materials