SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR INTEGRATION

Bringing together all actors to discuss common issues and jointly find solutions is always a winning bid. On March 29, 2023, SDA, Sofia Investment Agency and the Municipal Guarantee Fund for SMEs welcomed private and public organizations and employers from Sofia to discuss important questions linked to the integration of refugees in the local labor market.

The initiative is part of a project implemented by SDA with the support of UNHCR, and focuses on improving the policy framework in Sofia Municipality for refugee integration. Participants in the meeting were employers, who have already hired refugees and such that would like to include them in their workforce and would benefit from more information on how to do it. Some of those attending were also businesspersons from Ukraine who have fled from the war and who would like to continue their business in Bulgaria. We thank Maria Hristova, CEO of Invest Sofia, Nikolay Tzenkov, Managing director of the MGF, Rukiya Abdul Aziz, an integration associate at UNHCR, for speaking to the audience and presenting opportunities for financial and non-financial assistance to employers on the territory of Sofia. One such opportunity is the job search platform, created by InvestSofia and supported by Sofia Municipality just days after the war in Ukraine in order to match employers and job seekers; nearly 30% of the applicants have been able to find a job through the platform. Participants in the event raised various questions related to the available business support measures at municipal level, but also brought attention to unresolved issues that require the intervention of the national government.

SDA has planned a series of similar events until the end of this year and we invite you to follow our website and Facebook @SofiaLab for further information.

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

INFORMATION MEETING ON REFUGEE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN SOFIA

Sofia Development Association (SDA) organizes an information meeting for employers with the participation of Sofia Investment Agency and the Municipal Guarantee Fund for SMEs, which will take place on March 29, 2023 in SofiaInvest.

The event is part of SDA’s initiative “Socially Responsible for Integration,” organized under the SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATION POLICY FRAMEWORK AND SERVICE PROVISION FOR REFUGEES IN SOFIA project, financed by UNHCR – Bulgaria. The event aims to provide up-to-date information to companies and business organizations on business support measures and the integration of refugees in the labor market on the territory of Sofia.

NEW PARTNERSHIPS FOR INTEGRATION OF REFUGEES

SDA is one of nine local civil society organizations in Sofia which have been invited to become an official partner of UNHCR for 2023 to work on integration of refugees and persons with temporary protection from Ukraine.

At a joint meeting with all partner organizations on January 20, 2023, the UNHCR Bulgaria Representative Ms. Seda Kuzucu outlined the priorities for integration in Bulgaria, noting that continued efforts are needed to respond to the multiple crises that marked 2022 and to ensure that everyone in need receives adequate care and protection. Communication, dialogue, collaborative efforts and sharing of expertise will guide the integration agenda in the coming months. SDA welcomes the opportunity to continue cooperating with UNHCR and other public and private stakeholders to solidify the results achieved over the past years. Most notably, SDA will seek to expand the operations of the municipal Bureau for information and services to third country nationals, which has already proven to be a key point of service for migrants in the city as well as for coordinating the efforts of the many organizations that provide essential support and long-term integration pathways to all those who have chosen to stay in Sofia in search of a better life.

Read more about the project on our website and social media channels.

SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATION POLICY FRAMEWORK AND SERVICE PROVISION FOR REFUGEES IN SOFIA

The project focuses on improving the coordination and implementation of integration work in Sofia, and assisting beneficiaries of international protection and asylum seekers through the Bureau for information and services to third country nationals. The project is implemented by SDA, with the financial support of UNHCR-Bulgaria.

Project period: 1 Jan. 2023 – 31 Dec. 2023
Location of activities: Sofia

Project objectives

          • To build capacity and improve the overall system of planning, provision, and impact assessment of integration services at local level.
          • To strengthen the process of coordination and collaboration between public bodies, the private sector, and civil society organizations in Sofia through one-stop-shop solutions for information, consultation, and sectoral policy support.
          • To assist local policy- and decision-makers in developing and implementing integration policies through improved data gathering and analysis.
          • To mobilize a range of positive messengers from local communities and carry out information and public campaigns on integration and migration.

Project activities

          1. Expanding the functions of the Bureau for information and services to third country nationals, by identifying and engaging key stakeholders and building new partnerships (with academia, employers, trade unions, private bodies, businesses).
          2. Conducting a survey on the territory of Sofia Municipality to gather up-to-date information on refugees settled in the city and their access to services (healthcare, housing, education, etc.).
         3. Consolidating data gathered in a database, which can facilitate the elaboration of short-, mid- and long-term integration measures at municipal level.
         4. Mainstreaming concrete integration measures in current sectoral policies as well as relevant municipal grant making programs, to ensure access to funding for refugees.
         5. Support to local governments around the country to implement integration measures through sharing of information and good practices from Sofia Municipality.
         6. Organizing a civic hackathon for school students to develop an awareness-raising campaign in local schools on integration-related topics.
         7. Organizing public discussions on integration-related topics and information events for civil society organizations, public bodies, refugee organizations.
         8. Organizing annual award ceremony with and for local employers who support labor integration of refugees.