Bulgaria: NIEM national coalition meeting - The Role of Refugee and Migrant Initiatives for the Integration of Refugees and Migrants

On 23 June 2021, the Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants, the Multi Kulti Collective and the UNHCR Bulgaria held a NIEM national coalition meeting: The Role of Refugee and Migrant Initiatives for the Integration of Refugees and Migrants in Bulgaria.

The meeting provided a forum for presenting the main organizations and structures led by refugees in the field of integration. The agenda of the event included a presentation by Bistra Ivanova of the report of the European Integration Website (EWSI): Mapping of leading organizations led by refugees and migrants in the European Union. The agenda also included the role of the refugee led organizations for integration of refugees and migrants in Bulgaria, the support to refugee and migrant communities, the possible ways to strengthen links amongst refugee and migrant communities and institutions, as well as the link between refugee and migrant communities and the host society. The event delivered an opportunity to discuss initiatives, identify needs and to generate ideas for future activities and partnerships. The coalition meeting is an attempt by the BCRM and partner organizations to involve refugees in policy making and capacity development of civil society structures for a supportive environment. 

The event was co-organized in the framework of the National Integration Evaluation Mechanism (NIEM) project, co-financed through the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund of the European Union.