For the third consecutive year, Sofia Development Association and partner organizations awarded entrepreneurs and employers who support the socio-economic inclusion of refugees and migrants. The Responsible Employers Awards are an…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
On September 18, 2023, the public discussion “The Next Generation of Sofia Citizens” was held at the American Center of Sofia Library, organized by Sofia Development Association, with the participation…
SDA’s partner, the Foundation for Access to Rights (FAR) celebrated its 10th anniversary with a 2-day conference in Pomorie on September 12 and 13, 2023. The conference brought together experts…
During the month of August more than 150 people from different countries such as Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Guinea and Palestine have found help and support at the Bureau…
The theme of the 2023 art contest is ‘Hope away from Home’. This year, the best drawings that illustrate the power of including refugees will be turned into graphic t-shirts…
The “Bureau for Information and Services for Third Country Nationals” now has its own channel on the communication platform “Viber”. The channel will share information on the various activities and…
During the month of July more than 110 people from different countries such as Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, and Albania have found help and support at the Bureau for…
“Convoy World” is a leading manufacturing and trading company in the field of consumer goods. With a long history in cosmetics production and trade, in the year 2000, a new…
If you are a refugee from Ukraine in Bulgaria, you can join this European Union survey. The survey is anonymous. More info: https://tellusyourstorysurvey.eu/index_lp.php
On 20 June, we celebrated World Refugee Day in an expression of empathy and solidarity with the plight of millions of people forced to flee their homelands due to conflict…
Could you please introduce yourself and the company you run – what it does, when it was founded, area of activity, number of employees, etc.; How did you manage to…
On June 23 we saw the results of the teams’ work from the hackathon “Beyond Borders: Breaking Stereotypes, Building Bridges”, funded by UNHCR Bulgaria and organized by the Sofia Development Association. The teams that…
On 20 June, we celebrate World Refugee Day in solidarity and empathy with the fate of millions of people forced to flee their homelands due to conflict and persecution. Protection…
Continuing from the previous article with the stories of Sarah and Mohammed from Yemen, today we will meet you with those of Ashraf from Afghanistan and Muaz from Syria, people…
Today we will introduce you to the short stories of Sarah and Mohammed from Yemen, people with refugee backgrounds who found asylum and more importantly a home, on the territory…
On 8 June 2023 the final of the competitive part of the hackathon “Beyond Borders: breaking stereotypes, building bridges” took place, which is part of the project “Support for the…
In May, over 100 people used the services provided at the Bureau for Information and Services for Third Country Nationals. Legal consultation remains among the top sought services, along with the accompanying service…
The Fund champions the creativity of forcibly displaced and stateless people, ensuring they have the tools they need to identify needs and design solutions. It directly provides people who have…
On May 29, 2023, an information meeting was held with representatives of the ICBCCMN and the Child Protection Departments of the Social Assistance Directorates of Sofia Municipality. The meeting is…
Introduce your company and its activities to readers. Ortoteh Ltd. is a Bulgarian family company established in 2004 with the activity of production and trade of orthopedic medical devices for…
The university of Brussels (Université Libre de Bruxelles) is offering scholarships for refugee students to take part in the Odysseus Summer School on “EU Immigration and Asylum Law Policy” in…
In April, over 60 people used the services provided in the Bureau for Information and Services for Third Country Nationals. Legal consultation and applications for financial assistance remain among the…
The Bureau for Information and Services for Foreign Citizens is recognized as a good practice by the European Commission and the integration community. The news is published on The European Website…
In March, over 100 people used the services provided at the Bureau for Information and Services for Third Country Nationals. Legal consultation remains among the top sought services, along with…
Sofia Municipality announces a session for program funding aimed at educational institutions, regional administrations, small settlements, SCs, NGOs, student councils, business and other organizations registered under the Law on Non-Profit…
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…
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…
Within the framework of the 27th edition of the International Sofia Film Fest, the following refugee-themed films will be broadcasted: CLOVES & CARNATIONS by Bekir Bülbül, which is part of…
During the past month, 70 people used the services of the Bureau of Information and Services for Foreign Citizens. Of all the services offered, the greatest interest in the month…
On February 24, we mark the first year since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. As a sign of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and all those people fleeing…
The participants in the pilot business language course in Bulgarian for third-country nationals received their certificates this Saturday, Feb. 18, in an event hosted by SDA. The business language course…
Program EUROPE of Sofia Municipality is now open and accepting applications for 2023. The submission deadline is March 6, 2023, at 17.00 hrs local time; applications are submitted online to www.evropa-so.bg….
The second month of this calendar year begins and the work does not stop at the Bureau of Information and Services for Foreign Citizens. In January, the office was visited…
Do you want to… … be an ambassador of change? … gain the knowledge and skills to recognize, decipher and counter hate speech online? … become part of the international…
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…
Sofia Development Association is pleased to share that Lidl Bulgaria, one of the companies awarded as a responsible employer of refugees and migrants in 2022 under the CONNECTION project, continues…
For the bureau the new year began the same way the old one ended – with more and more ways to help third country nationals, migrants and refugees. In December…
On December 15, the annual Awards for Responsible Employers of Refugees and Migrants took place at SofiaLab, the capital’s youth innovation laboratory. Partners in the event were Sofia Municipality, Sofia…
After three years of good cooperation and exchanges among 18 partners including trade unions, local and regional authorities, civil society organisations, research institutes, the project UMN is coming to an…
We consider this year a successful one in the development and work of the “Information and Services Bureau”. Among the most frequently used services, in the last few months of…
For second year in a row, Sofia Municipality, Sofia Development Association, Caritas Sofia, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Foundation “Za dobroto” are organizing Awards for Responsible Employers of…
The Bulgarian Red Cross launched a program for financial assistance to persons affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and who sought protection in Bulgaria. In order to receive support,…
Now you can get support from experts of the Foundation for Access to Rights FAR on two new numbers from Monday to Friday (9:00 – 18:00): Note that the old…
The 10th annual conference Integrating Cities is part of EUROCITIES efforts to strengthen the dialogue between European, national and local level experts and decision makers in policy areas that are…
The Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in partnership with the Bureau for Information and Services for Third Country Nationals, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Caritas Sofia, the…
Teachers have a critical role to support refugee children. This role is more than teaching, especially when the kids are still in the adaptation phase. How these children see education,…
The Bureau of Information and Services for Foreign Citizens in Sofia presents to your attention the “Program of activities for the month of November”. The office is located at 113…
In September close to 90 foreign citizen used the services of the Bureau on spot at 113 Hristo Botev Blvd. The most frequent users were from Syria, but there were…
The final public event of the UMN project in Sofia was the international conference organized by the partners CITUB and SDA on 27 September 2022. The conference gathered representatives of…
In honor of the Day of Sofia, the Food and Spices Walking Tour was held in the center of the city. Two different tours, one in Bulgarian and one in…
The Chairman of the Sofia City Council, Mr. Georgi Georgiev, officially opened the school year at 119. Secondary School “Acad. Mikhail Arnaudov” together with Mr. Narasimha Rao Nilagiri Lakshmi, representative…
The Chairman of the Sofia City Council, Mr. Georgi Georgiev, will officially open the school year at 119. Secondary School “Acad. Mikhail Arnaudov” together with Mr. Narasimha Rao Nilagiri Lakshmi,…
Sofia Municipality and its partners have prepared numerous and diverse events for the citizens and guests for the Day of Sofia – September 17th. Cultural offering varies from open doors…
For the second year in a row, with the financial support of the Social Innovations Program of Sofia Municipality, students from local universities had a chance to intern at organizations…
Located at 113 Hristo Botev blvd., the first in Bulgaria joint Bureau for Information and Services for third country nationals opened its doors one year ago for clients and friends….
If you would like to get to know the neighbourhood around the Bureau for Information and Services for third country nationals, you can use the new Map of (Middle) Eastern…
Did the war in Ukraine change the attitudes of Bulgarian society towards migrants and refugees? Do we know how to help the people who need protection for themselves and their…
The Bureau for Information and Services for third country nationals in Sofia presents to your attention the Program with activities for the month of August. The desk is located at…
A 36-months EU funded project aiming to improve third country nationals’ financial access to financial services On February 3-4, 2022 a multistakeholder consortium of 11 project partners from 7 EU…
JA Bulgaria in partnership with Manpower Bulgaria are working on the “Access Success for Ukrainians” initiative, created with the aim of helping Ukrainian refugees in Bulgaria to find work more…
he Bureau for Information and Services for third country nationals in Sofia presents to your attention the Program with activities for the month of July. A full list of the…
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is organizing a free specialized Bulgarian language course for medical professionals from Ukraine. All persons with temporary protection who have a…
From June 6, 2022, the Employment Agency started the implementation of the project “Solidarity”, funded by the Operational Program “Human Resources Development” 2014-2020. It will provide timely support for rapid…
The Bureau for Information and Services for Third-country nationals presents to your attention an up-to-date list of centers for children with a focus on foreign ukrainian users. For details you…
In May, more than 80 foreign citizen used the services of the Bureau on spot at 113 Hristo Botev Blvd., and more than 15 people received the information and assistance…
For the second year, SDA offers students an opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge in the field of integration of refugees and migrants through summer internships, in cooperation with…
Foundation for Access to Rights – FAR and Multi Kulti Collective are pleased to invite you to a special event in Sofia in support of refugees from Ukraine. Lawyer Magdalena…
Mondly, one of the world’s leading language learning platforms, announced that it is making its courses available for free to all Ukrainians being displaced in European countries. The initiative is…
The crisis in Ukraine continues to impact financial markets across the world. As financial service providers begin to come to terms with the new realities they are facing, it’s important…
On May 11, 2022 the Labor Office Directorate of Vazrazhdane District organized a Job Search Fair. Employers from various economic sectors took part in the event. The event was an…
The Bureau for Information and Services for third country nationals in Sofia presents to your attention the Program with activities for the month of May. The desk is located at 111…
New Survey of the Access to Financial Services for Third-Country Nationals Sofia Development Association begins a new survey about the access to financial services for third country nationals (TCNs). The…
The country’s regional education departments (RDUs) accept applications from Ukrainians seeking or receiving international protection who want to enroll their children in kindergarten or school. Depending on the age, the…
Over 85 third-country nationals have benefited from the Bureau’s services in March, as the most used are in the field of protection, housing, health and legal assistance. Other often used…
Sofia Development Association, in partnership with the Bulgarian Red Cross, organized an event to support the integration of third-country nationals into the labor market. The event was held on March…
The integration of foreigners into the labor market can only happen if they know how to reach employers and remain noticed. However, these skills are not highly developed among third-country…
A working meeting initiated by Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova on March 14, 2022, which included representatives of the non-governmental sector, business organizations and Sofia Municipal Council, outlined concrete steps to…
Sofia Municipality is assisting those fleeing the war in Ukraine with transport, accommodation, health care, access to jobs, humanitarian and legal aid and free parking. At this stage, the Sofia…
The Government has a Crisis Headquarters with 6 working groups, which coordinates the work of all institutions. Today, March 9, 2022, the Council of Ministers adopted a decision granting temporary…
The government has created a national single portal that contains detailed legitimate and important information for both people who need help and those who are willing to help. In it…
The platform “Bulgaria for Ukraine – BG4UA” connects and mediates with donors and volunteers. The team finds opportunities for accommodation, transport and secondary assistance in the form of clothing, basic…
Sofia Municipality and the Sofia Development Association (SDA) invite you to join a discussion on the integration of third-country nationals (TCNs) in the labor market, which will be held on…
CONCORDIA Bulgaria is expanding the capacity of its bed base and is ready to provide shelter for children and families in the Social and Youth Center “St. Constantine ”, located…
Andrey Nikolov – owner of the Bulgarian office of the International Computer Academy IT Step and his team have built a strategy, model and are actively working to build a…
Sofia University has started to accommodate refugees from Ukraine in two of its bases – the Creative House in Kiten and part of the dormitory of the Department of Information…
“The Sofia Municipality is ready to provide accommodation for 206 citizens of Ukraine who are leaving the country due to the hostilities. This morning I informed the Ministry of Foreign…
Since the opening of the Bureau in September 2021. until February 2022 over 430 third-country nationals have benefited from the services provided for protection, health, legal aid, and specialized services….
We are pleased to present a new opportunity for learning, offered by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI). Under the RIDE project, BCCI is happy to invite women…
The Bureau for Information and Services for third country nationals in Sofia presents to your attention the Program with activities for the month of February. The bureau is the result…
The bureau has been operating for 4 months now, during which nearly 300 foreign nationals have benefited from the services offered in 5 languages in the areas of labor market…
New Year – new opportunities! If you work in the field of integration and/or you are full of innovative ideas on the topic, you may apply for funding that will…
The first in Bulgaria Bureau for Information and Services for third country nationals opened its doors in Sofia in September 2021. The Bureau now has its own website, where you…
Sofia Development Association (SDA), Sofia Municipality (SM), Caritas Sofia and the UNHCR Representation in Bulgaria presented the first awards for responsible employers of refugees and migrants today, 17 December, at…
The Bureau for Information and Services for third country nationals, which opened in September of this year, now has a new activity! To promote the integration of foreign nationals into…
Besides Christmas and the New Year holidays, December brings another important celebration – 18 December – International Migrants Day. Look out for information about the celebration of this day in…
The annual meeting organized by UNHCR Bulgaria to present the 2021 participatory study on age, gender and diversity of refugees was held on 26 and 27 October 2021 in Pravets….
The Bureau for Information and Services for third country nationals in Sofia presents to your attention the Program with activities for the month of November. The desk is located at…
Located at 111 Hristo Botev blvd., the first in Bulgaria joint Bureau for Information and Services for third country nationals opened its doors for clients and friends. The bureau is…
On the day of Sofia – September 17th, the first in Bulgaria joint Bureau for Information and Services for third country nationals opened its doors for clients and friends. The…
Simple is beautiful! Every city and country have a complex system of access to services, distributed between governance levels, institutions and voluntary service providers, locations, with diverse requirements and processes….
The multi-national project CONNEcting Cities Towards Integration actiON was co-funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.
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