Approaching National Round Table on the Project Called "Functionally Sustainable Migration and Integration in Bulgaria" (FSMI in Bulgaria)

Despite the summer period, the partners in the Project called Functionally Sustainable Migration and Integration in Bulgaria (FSMI in Bulgaria) from the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Executive Development held their regular meeting in August as well. The main topic of the meeting was the forthcoming National Round Table on the Project to take place on 25 September 2025 in Sofia.

The event will be hybrid and will bring together participants from different fields: representatives of state and local authorities, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, academic circles, sectoral circles and employers, connected with the integration of workforce in Bulgaria, as well as many non-governmental organisations.

The Round Table will present the results of a study, conducted earlier this year, which gathered information from Bulgarian companies about their attitudes towards hiring third country nationals. It will also present a methodology for reducing the administrative burden when attracting third country nationals to work in Bulgaria, developed by the Project team. In addition, there will be a discussion on how to achieve a functional and sustainable migration in our country.

Some of the conclusions, drawn by the Project team so far, regarding the reduction of the administrative burden, when attracting third country nationals to work in Bulgaria, were discussed during the meeting:

Reducing the administrative burden requires coordinated efforts on the part of government institutions, businesses and international partners. Through digitalisation, optimisation of procedures, awareness and cooperation, the process can become more efficient and attractive both to employers and to potential employees.

The development of transparent and clear procedures is essential to facilitate interaction between employers, third country nationals and state institutions. These measures will contribute to the creation of a more supportive and integrating environment for third country nationals and at the same time, they will encourage their active participation in the Bulgarian economy and society and will contribute to their successful integration into Bulgarian society.

Monitoring and feedback are key elements for assessing the effectiveness of the measures taken and for adapting the procedures in accordance with the needs of employers and third country nationals. They will create a sustainable system for constantly improving the administrative procedures and services and at the same time, they will increase the satisfaction and confidence of employers and third country nationals.