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Sun, Nov 22 2009
Schengen exemption for Macedonia reduces demand for Bulgarian passports
Photo: Julia Lazarova
The European Commission recommendation that Macedonian citizens be allowed to enter Schengen countries visa-free from January 1 2010 has caused a drop in demand for Bulgarian passports, Skopje-based Dnevnik said on July 17 2009.
Macedonia is being given the concession along with two other Western Balkans states, Serbia and Montenegro.
Dnevnik, as reported by Bulgarian news agency Focus, said that in recent days advertisements offering to help Macedonians get Bulgarian passports had dropped off and the number of people seeking assistance was "even lower".
There was still some interest in Bulgarian passports, mainly in cases of people wanting to buy motor vehicles.
Bulgaria has been a member of the EU since January 1 2007 but its citizens were given Schengen visa exemption in 2001.
The daily reported that analysts said that the change was proof that Macedonians wanted Bulgarian citizenship for economic reasons.
"It is not clear yet how many Macedonian citizens have acquired Bulgarian citizenship. Bulgarian ambassador in Skopje Miho Mihov said in 2007 that nearly 10 000 Macedonian citizens had acquired Bulgarian citizenship. He said that more than 60 000 people were waiting for Bulgarian passports," the paper said.
A Skopje resident who had been advertising his services as a mediator in securing Bulgarian passports said that no one was phoning him anymore.
"Inquiries have ceased. People consider it unnecessary as next year they will be able to travel with their Macedonian passports. Besides, the procedure for obtaining a Bulgarian passport is lengthy and any applicant will have to wait for at least two years.
"Bulgarian identity cards are still in demand as they can be used for the purchase of cheap motor-cars and be driven later in Macedonia," the intermediary said.
Dnevnik said that the procedure for acquiring Bulgarian citizenship required filing of a declaration that the applicant had Bulgarian ancestors.
The newspaper said that after Bulgarians were allowed to travel visa-free, "Macedonians spotted their chance of obtaining employment abroad at a time of persistent economic crisis and high unemployment rate in their own country".
Macedonia is being given the concession along with two other Western Balkans states, Serbia and Montenegro.
Dnevnik, as reported by Bulgarian news agency Focus, said that in recent days advertisements offering to help Macedonians get Bulgarian passports had dropped off and the number of people seeking assistance was "even lower".
There was still some interest in Bulgarian passports, mainly in cases of people wanting to buy motor vehicles.
Bulgaria has been a member of the EU since January 1 2007 but its citizens were given Schengen visa exemption in 2001.
The daily reported that analysts said that the change was proof that Macedonians wanted Bulgarian citizenship for economic reasons.
"It is not clear yet how many Macedonian citizens have acquired Bulgarian citizenship. Bulgarian ambassador in Skopje Miho Mihov said in 2007 that nearly 10 000 Macedonian citizens had acquired Bulgarian citizenship. He said that more than 60 000 people were waiting for Bulgarian passports," the paper said.
A Skopje resident who had been advertising his services as a mediator in securing Bulgarian passports said that no one was phoning him anymore.
"Inquiries have ceased. People consider it unnecessary as next year they will be able to travel with their Macedonian passports. Besides, the procedure for obtaining a Bulgarian passport is lengthy and any applicant will have to wait for at least two years.
"Bulgarian identity cards are still in demand as they can be used for the purchase of cheap motor-cars and be driven later in Macedonia," the intermediary said.
Dnevnik said that the procedure for acquiring Bulgarian citizenship required filing of a declaration that the applicant had Bulgarian ancestors.
The newspaper said that after Bulgarians were allowed to travel visa-free, "Macedonians spotted their chance of obtaining employment abroad at a time of persistent economic crisis and high unemployment rate in their own country".
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Ouch Herx!
It's worse than that. The Serbs actively prosecuted them and basically beat the Bulgarian identity out of them. Priests, teachers and average folks, were kicked out, or forced to change.
Much like the Bosnians who were mostly converted to Islam by force, are now willing to die for their religion. Human nature. We act mostly from habit. 90 years is 90 years (since 1918)...
But FYROM should stay as a separate country.
Eventually they will be incorporated into the EU - they can't survive otherwise - and all that will be pointless.
My understanding is that the greater Bulgarian nation is divided geopgraphically into the 3 provinces of the Roman Empire that the Slavs and later Bulgars invaded/moved into: Moesia (Mizia) in the north, Trakia and Macedonia. As such, Macedonia is a territorial part of Bulgaria, no greater in rank than her two sisters, Mizia and Trakiya.
Any attempt to try to cast Macedonia as somehow of greater rank than eitehr Mizia or trakiya is silly "nationalism". It is not even nationalism, because there is no such thing as a "Macedonian " nation. They are Bulgarians.
Always have been. Only under Tito did teh Serbs use proppaganda to teach their lies that Macedonian is a separate nationality from Bulgarian. They are one and the same. The current Republic of Macedonia should just merge with teh rerst of teh Bulgarian motherland.
It is absurd to think Macedonia, a region of Bulgaria, should exist as a separate "nation". Complete nonsense.
i am proud to identify my self as bulgarian because this the pure truth we are BULGARIANS and please dont let those fascist (MACEDONIST)who really dont know who are they , our nation was portioned and our minds were washed by lies of serbians and COMMUNISTs . VIVA BULGARIA
It can not be 10.000 or 60.000 .... must be 400.000 !
Comes as no surprise at all. Macedonians were never interested in being Bulgarian and the passports were purely a means to an end. perhaps the 60,000 waiting can now have their documents committed to the bin.
Yes when will you bulgars realise that they were only using your country for that reason. Sahme on you though for trying to take advantage of our people to declare they had tatar ancestry.