About 48 million euros of the 148 million euros Bulgaria received from the European Union will be directed to Ukrainian refugees in our country. This was commented by the Deputy Prime Minister for Effective Governance Kalina Konstantinova during a discussion at the House of Europe on the topic "The Road ahead for Ukrainian Refugees in Europe and in Bulgaria", quoted by BTA.

The European Commission has paid more than 3.5 billion euros to EU member states for Ukrainian refugees, of which Bulgaria has received 148 million euros in cohesion funds. These 148 million euros from the EU under REACT-EU are an advance payment under this program - funds set aside for solidarity support to member states during the Covid pandemic said Konstantinova.

"I hope that next week we will launch a measure related to employment support - support for rent for three months through the employer and thus stimulate the employment of refugees from Ukraine," Konstantinova explained. She added that she is in a hurry with two other measures related to the support of the NGO sector for field work and construction of centers for children.

She pointed out that Bulgaria ranks first in the European Union in the percentage of issued documents for temporary protection of refugees. To date, this percentage exceeds 85%.

More than 200,000 people fleeing the war have passed through Bulgaria. There are about 100,000 left in Bulgaria, the Deputy Prime Minister explained. According to her, our country is doing well in welcoming and providing assistance to refugees, as there are already about 200 registration desks in the country. The next even more complicated task is ahead - to chart the path for their inclusion in Bulgaria, added Kalina Konstantinova.

The money that Bulgaria will use for accommodation, food and health care for Ukrainian refugees will be 100 percent paid by the European Union, assured GERB/EPP MEP Andrey Novakov. Each country that accepts Ukrainian refugees and their number is equivalent to 1% of the country's population receives support from the European budget, Novakov explained, stressing that there are two support mechanisms within the Union, mobilizing about 17 billion euros.

“Providing shelter and food for the first days of arrival of refugees, legalizing their status and all documents are important, but they are only the basis, the next step, which is more important, is integration,” said during the discussion the MEP from the Progressive Alliance of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament Elena Yoncheva.

The head of the State Agency for Refugees, Mariana Tosheva, who will also head the government's refugee headquarters - the Operational Coordination Group, said that paying rent for three months through employers is one of the measures to promote the employment of Ukrainian refugees under temporary protection. This measure has been agreed with employers and will thus "untie their hands" at the local level to look for accommodation. The overall stay of Ukrainian refugees may be longer, and this requires them to start work.

The Deputy Minister of Interior Stoyan Temelakiev also took part in the discussion. According to him, the Ministry of Interior is successfully dealing with the registration for temporary protection of refugees, and the border police, who are the first to meet those fleeing the border from the military conflict in Ukraine and apply sufficiently strict control. A risk profile has been developed, with the assistance of SANS, in order to prevent persons or groups from entering the territory of the country, which could potentially or directly threaten national security.

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