The refugees who apply for aid from Bulgaria, will be settled across the country and will get free housing, language and professional training for a year, reports Sega daily. 

The municipalities who accept refugees will receive additional state financing. This is provided for in the draft Strategy for integration of persons who received international protection. 

The setting up of the Strategy was one of the conditions, set by the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom, in order for Bulgaria to receive additional funding from the EU. 

The Strategy, which will be valid through 2020, does not contain financial forecasts, but will completely replace the existing one, which failed. 

According to the new plan, the municipalities will provide a number of refugees they can accept. If none does, they will be automatically assigned by the National Council for Migration and Integration, which will be set up within the Social Ministry. 

The refugees who want to participate in the integration programme, will have to volunteer for it, after they get a humanitarian status, and will sign an integration contract with the state. They will take a mandatory six-month language course and classes for social orientation. The children will be enrolled in the schools. After the end of the language course, the refugees will be offered professional orientation and qualification courses. For the duration of the project, they will be covered by social and health insurance.

When the year is complete, the refugees will be free to move to whichever part of Bulgaria they want and will have to take care of themselves. 

The Strategy will cover both those with refugee and humanitarian status. Currently their number in Bulgaria is 2463 people, of which 90% are Syrian. Another 3408 people are going through the procedure for obtaining status.

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