More than half of people in Sofia are willing to accept refugees and believe that their arrival in Bulgaria is a good idea from the perspective of their integration into the economy, according to the findings of a project titled “Research on Social Attitudes Towards Refugees and Asylum Seekers: The Bulgarian Model.” The project was presented at the conference “Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Bulgaria“ at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) on Tuesday.
The research team examined attitudes towards refugees and people seeking protection in Bulgaria — before they arrive, after they arrive, and towards those who would like to remain in the country, said project leader Prof. Elka Todorova from the Department of Economic Sociology at UNWE.
The high proportion of people willing to accept refugees is mainly made up of university graduates, residents of large population centres and people with higher incomes, Assistant Prof. Maria Brestnichka from the Department of Economic Sociology. She noted that attitudes towards refugees are ambivalent, making it difficult to determine what proportion of people are fearful of them.
Bulgaria is going through a period of change in which people have concerns about refugees and people seeking protection. Many of these concerns are linked to clear waves of disinformation in the media that create an image of the “frightening refugee“. At the same time, there is also a willingness to accept them, Brestnichka said. She added that it was necessary to look at the entire process — the people who arrive, their opportunities, abilities and education, as well as what the institutions are doing. The research also found that the vast majority of people have no direct contact with a refugee and form their attitudes based on media narratives. “When we meet them and see who these people are and what their stories are, we can understand who we are talking about. And then attitudes change,” Brestnichka said.
The forum was organized by the National Network for Children, the State Agency for Refugees with the Council of Ministers, and the UNWE. Representatives of institutions, academia, international organizations and more than 20 civil society organizations working directly with refugees and asylum seekers took part in the conference, the organizers said.
More Than Half of People in Sofia Willing to Accept Refugees, Research Shows THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-09-29 15:02:07
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