50 000 Applications Clog Bulgaria Citizenship Council

Diplomacy | October 30, 2009, Friday

The Minister for Bulgarians Abroad, Bozhidar Dimitrov, informed that currently there is a backlog of at least 50 000 applications that have piled up since 2005. Photo by bGNES

The amendments of the Bulgarian Citizenship Act will allow for 30 000 individuals to become Bulgarian citizens each year, the Minister for Bulgarians Abroad Bozhidar Dimitrov believes.

Dimitrov said that currently there is a backlog of at least 50 000 applications that have piled up since 2005.

"People have to wait for an answer for 5 years and this triggers corruption; the fact the current Act has no deadline is a problem," the Minister explained.

Dimitrov also stated that lately ethnic Bulgarians who live abroad wish more and more to become citizens, which, according to him, is good for Bulgaria.

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 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.