Is migrating to Bulgaria becoming as desirable as migrating to the United States? Perhaps not, but following the July 18 2008 discussion of the Government's National Strategy for Migration and Integration of Bulgaria 2008/2015 (Национална стратегия по миграция и интеграция на България 2008-2015 г) at a plenary session of the economic and social council, it emerged that the country's lack of skilled professionals could lead to the instatement of a green card programme.

In this case, however, as per the National Strategy document, green cards would be issued to foreign nationals of Bulgarian descent, thus allowing them easier settlement and eventual citizenship in the country of their heritage.

The green cards are one of the major priorities of the strategy.

According to the strategy, the green card programme includes the following: easing the procedures for establishing residency and social integration of persons of Bulgarian descent; assuring optimal conditions for settling in regions around the country, as per the Catalogue of Land Plots Assessed for Settlement, with the goal of getting people to settle outside the big three of Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna; reduction of fees connected to establishing residency in Bulgaria; equal employment opportunities and equal pay with Bulgarians, on the condition of registering at the Labour Bureau; and the right to free-of-charge primary and secondary education in Bulgarian state and municipal schools equal to options offered to Bulgarian citizens.

However, as reported by Focus news agency on July 18 2008, citing economic and social council member Plamen Dimitrov, the strategy does not outline any sort of system to evaluate the risks that could come with “importing” a workforce from other countries; it also is missing a system to evaluate the social status and professional competencies of emigrants of Bulgarian origin.

In its recommendation, the economic and social council opined that the issuing of such green cards should be in line with the demands of the national market, and guarantee the latter's protection.

The article by Focus also said that the council also emphasised the necessity of including in the strategy a means of evaluating risks of pandemic, terrorism and other negative situations that could come as a result of bringing in a foreign workforce.

To encourage foreign nationals of Bulgarian heritage to move to Bulgaria, it was mentioned that the option for dual citizenship could be attractive, along with bringing salary levels up to par.

In a second Focus article from July 18, Dimitrov said that part of the reason for Bulgarians' immigration to other countries was the long-term trend in the country itself of moving from smaller towns and villages to larger centres of population.

“In the past six year,” he said, as reported by Focus, “80 per cent of populated areas in the country have become depopulated. One hundred fifty thousand people have moved elsewhere in the country, and, according to us, a large part of them have emigrated [from Bulgaria].”

The strategy was originally approved by the Cabinet on June 5 2008. It contains two main goals, as summarised by Bulgarian news agency BTA: to encourage Bulgarians living abroad and foreign nationals of Bulgarian origin living abroad to return/move to Bulgaria; and to create a new and contemporary policy for accepting citizens of third countries in view of benefiting the Bulgarian economy. Such a policy would also help regulate and control the immigration to Bulgarian of third-country nationals.

While the foreign nationals of Bulgarian origin living abroad would receive green cards, citizens of third countries would be granted a “blue card”, the goal of which would be facilitating the latter's employment.

For 2008 alone, the National Strategy for Migration and Integration of Bulgaria 2008/2015 foresees creating an up-to-date database of Bulgarians living abroad; increasing the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy's employment services and social issues network abroad; monitoring the children of Bulgarian immigrants abroad; the opening of Bulgarian schools abroad and the holding of courses; concluding two-sided agreements on employment, to be included in a two-sided contract for social security; and the attraction of small and medium-sized businesses for partnership work, including with local governing bodies as related to the integration of immigrants.

More information about the National Strategy can be found on the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy's dedicated website.