Diaspora Minister: 2 Million Bulgarians Don't Have Citizenship

Dimitrov stated that “it is natural to give citizenship to those who wish to participate in the life of the country.” Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria’s Minister for Bulgarians Abroad, Bozhidar Dimitrov, has predicted that 2 million Bulgarians who live abroad do not currently have Bulgarian citizenship.

Dimitrov, speaking in Parliament Wednesday during a debate on the amendments of the Bulgarian Citizenship Act, stated that “it is natural to give citizenship to those who wish to participate in the life of the country.”

He also reminded MPs of the forecast deepening demographic crisis, according to which 30% of the Bulgarian population would need to feed the other 70% and concluded that this was the reason for the system needing to be speeded up.

Currently about 2 - 2,5 million Bulgarians live in other Balkan countries and in the former Soviet republics. In 2002 – 2009 Bulgaria issued 19 825 passports to Macedonians, 14 231 to Moldavians, 2 185 to Russians, 1 825 to Serbians, 1 743 to Ukrainians, 1 029 to Israelis and 456 to Albanians.

The amendments to the Act will include granting Bulgarian citizenship in three months to those who have applied for it and have received their bachelors degree in Bulgaria. A certificate for Bulgarian origins will only be issued by the Agency for Bulgarians Abroad due to the many fake ones now.

Dimitrov pointed as example the fact that from 250 total applications from Moldova 249 are fake, adding it did not mean those people are not Bulgarians, but they used the services of some shady businesses and have themselves become victims of fraud.

With the new Act, Bulgarians, who lost their citizenship over historical events, like the ones living in places that were within Bulgaria's boundaries until 1944, would be able to reinstate it in six months.