From November 13 to 15, the peer review visit of the CONSOLIDATE project took place in Sofia, with 31 people from 21 organizations and institutions joining in. During the event, refugee integration experts from across Europe had the opportunity to meet with representatives of institutions and organizations in Sofia to gain deeper insights into the city’s refugee and migrant integration policies and their implementation.
Organized by the Bureau for Integration and Social Innovations (BISI), the meeting provided a platform for participants to discuss various strategies for improving migrant support policies and fostering cross-sector collaboration. The event was attended by representatives of the Eurocities network, local governments from across Europe, experts from MigrationWork, and other stakeholders.
The program began with welcoming remarks from municipal councilor Ekaterina Yordanova and Sofia Deputy Mayor Nadezhda Bobcheva. Snezhina Gabova from BISI presented the city’s self-assessment of its refugee integration policies. The morning sessions featured group discussions with representatives from Sofia Municipality, the Employment Agency, the State Agency for Refugees, the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB), SofiaInvest, district administrations, and the city ombudsperson.
In the afternoon, valuable contributions were made by Valentina Solodkaya from Arms Wide Open, Sara Alkaf, entrepreneur Milad Djabali, and Maria Gureva from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.” The discussions highlighted businesses run by migrants and their role in economic and social integration.
The second day was dedicated to field visits showcasing practical initiatives for migrant integration in Sofia. Participants met with representatives of the Bulgarian Red Cross and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the Caritas Career Center and local employers.
In the afternoon, participants met with non-governmental organizations. Representatives from the Foundation for Access to Rights – FAR, the Association of Refugee Women, and others shared their on-the-ground experiences. The day concluded with collaborative workshops to summarize key findings and prepare the final peer review presentation.
The final day focused on providing feedback and recommendations for migrant integration policies to representatives of Sofia Municipality. The experts emphasized the city’s political initiative to shift narratives, the personalized support provided by the non-governmental sector, and the wide range of successful initiatives connecting migrants and employers. They presented their seven key recommendations for Sofia:
1. Sofia Municipality could take a coordinating role in integration initiatives.
2. Raising awareness about support.
3. Collaborate with NAMRB to advocate for and access national and EU funding.
4. Use the experience of supporting Ukrainians as building blocks for a long-term strategy that covers other groups.
5. Explore ways to change the discourse on migration with migrants.
6. Map current language provisions and address gaps sustainably.
7. Improve access to financial services.
The meeting highlighted BISI’s commitment to the sustainable development of integration policies within the CONSOLIDATE project and beyond. The recommendations will undergo thorough review and consideration for potential implementation.
The project is funded by the EU’s *Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund (AMIF).*
