The opportunity to obtain Bulgarian passports has drained young and qualified workers from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, according to the Macedonian daily "Utrinski Vesnik".

In its Friday's article entitled "The Bulgarian Passports Emptied Vinica" the newspaper tells the story of the small town of Vinica (10 000 inhabitants) located close to the town of Stip, which had lost thousands of young people and skilled laborers in the last couple of years.

The town mayor Marian Kostadinov is quoted as saying that the opportunity to obtain Bulgarian passports had allowed thousands of Vinica residents to emigrate, thus stripping the local economy of its most valuable workers.

According to his account, the businesses in the town could no longer find enough people to employ for their operations, and the shortage was become more severe.

Macedonian citizens are allowed to acquire Bulgarian citizenship if they manage to prove their Bulgarian origin. No matter whether they believe in their Bulgarian roots or not, thousands of Macedonians are taking advantage of this opportunity because a Bulgarian passport allows them to travel freely within the EU.

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