CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES NOVEMBER 2023 IN THE BUREAU FOR INFORMATION AND SERVICES FOR THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS

In the month of October 2023, more than 100 people from different countries have found help and support at the Bureau of Information and Services for Third Country Nationals by taking advantage of the services provided there. This month, the most requested services by visitors to the Bureau are financial assistance, humanitarian assistance, and assistance accessing health and legal services.

The official website of the bureau offers a monthly program that describes the different activities by day and time. The content of this program is in several languages: Bulgarian, English, French, Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, and Persian.

         You can find the program for November in Bulgarian HERE.

         You can find the program for November in Ukrainian HERE.

         You can find the program for November in English HERE.

         You can find the program for November in French HERE.

         You can find the program for November in Russian HERE.

         You can find the program for November in Arabic HERE.

         You can find the program for November in Farsi HERE.

The project Support for the Development of Integration Policy Framework and Service Provision for Refugees in Sofia is supported by UNHCR – Bulgaria.

CIVIC EDUCATION, CHILDREN’S RIGHTS AND PROTECTION FROM SEXUAL VIOLENCE

As part of the information and capacity building activities for municipal staff from child protection services and social workers, SDA hosted a meeting together with the 24 district commissions for the prevention of antisocial behavior of minors on Oct. 6, 2023. The event was dedicated to core aspects of civic education as a way to strengthen the prevention of sexual violence against children and the protection of children’s rights. Speakers included representatives of SDA, civic education experts and lecturers from Sofia University, practitioners working in the field of prevention of sexual and domestic violence, children’s rights experts. Discussions emphasized the need to include both adults and children with a refugee background in city-wide sexual violence prevention and awareness-raising activities, as well as to invest efforts in ongoing capacity building for practitioners and experts in this area from the city administration. The event is part of the activities of the project "Support for the development of integration policies and services for refugees in Sofia", funded by UNHCR – Bulgaria.

The project Support for the Development of Integration Policy Framework and Service Provision for Refugees in Sofia is supported by UNHCR – Bulgaria.

TO BE TOLERANT MEANS TO BE WELL-INFORMED

Within the project "Support for the development of integration policies and services for refugees in Sofia," funded by UNHCR – Bulgaria, SDA is implementing a series of initiatives for both integration professionals and citizens of Sofia. Since the beginning of the year, we have conducted information meetings with experts from Sofia Municipality and employers who hire refugees. We have also organized a hackathon involving young people from schools in Sofia and Blagoevgrad. In our most recent meeting, which was dedicated to the Day of Sofia on September 17, 2023, we invited refugees, migrants, and foreigners who have chosen Sofia as their home to share their experiences and perspectives on the city and its inhabitants. For the SDA team, these events go beyond being mere project activities. Years of work on this topic have taught us that people from different cultures can coexist in harmony and peace if they have access to sufficient and objective information about others around them. If this topic resonates with you, we would be pleased to offer you a brief presentation on some of our initiatives thus far. These initiatives aim to reach a wide audience with a message of mutual understanding and the importance of supporting those in need. The presentation can be seen HERE!

The project Support for the Development of Integration Policy Framework and Service Provision for Refugees in Sofia is supported by UNHCR – Bulgaria.

CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES OCTOBER 2023 IN THE BUREAU FOR INFORMATION AND SERVICES FOR THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS

In the month of September 2023, more than 110 people from different countries such as Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, the Russian Federation, Ivory Coast, and Libya have found help and support at the Bureau of Information and Services for Third Country Nationals by taking advantage of the services provided there. For the second consecutive month, the most requested service by visitors to the Bureau was assistance with protection procedures, followed by legal, financial, and humanitarian assistance.

The official website of the bureau offers a monthly program that describes the different activities by day and time. The content of this program is in several languages: Bulgarian, English, French, Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, and Persian.

You can find the program for October in Bulgarian HERE

You can find the program for October in Ukrainian HERE 

You can find the program for October in English HERE 

You can find the program for October in French HERE

You can find the program for October in Russian HERE 

You can find the program for October in Arabic HERE 

You can find the program for October in Farsi HERE

The project Support for the Development of Integration Policy Framework and Service Provision for Refugees in Sofia is supported by UNHCR – Bulgaria.

FOCUS ON REFUGEE INTEGRATION AND PUBLIC SECURITY IN SOFIA

On 26.09.2023 SDA hosted a meeting of the Monitoring Committee at the Sofia Municipal Council on Penalties and Detention. The Commission includes experts from different directorates and institutions in the municipality who work in the field of internal order and security, crime prevention within groups at risk, social assistance, etc. At the invitation of the committee, SDA presented its activities in the field of integration of refugees and migrants, the Bureau for Information and Services for Third-Country Nationals, as well as various issues related to the coordination and management of integration processes in the city. The participants discussed possibilities to track more effectively the integration itineraries of international status holders who have settled in the capital so that they can receive timely and necessary integration services, as well as to ensure that they will not become victims of crime. The meeting was also attended by the Ombudsperson of Sofia Municipality, the institution is key for ensuring equal access of refugees and migrants to public services and protection of their rights.

The meeting is part of the capacity building activities of local authorities in the field of integration, included in the project "Support for the development of integration policies and services for refugees in Sofia", funded by UNHCR – Bulgaria.

The project Support for the Development of Integration Policy Framework and Service Provision for Refugees in Sofia is supported by UNHCR – Bulgaria.