There is no exact statistic on the number of Bulgarians living abroad, but a report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from last year indicates that around 2.8 million Bulgarians are living outside the country. According to the 2021 population census conducted by the National Statistical Institute (NSI), over 300,000 Bulgarian citizens had returned to the country by that time. This trend has continued in the following years.
The NSI's 2023 annual report of "Population and Demographic Processes 2023" shows that over 17,000 Bulgarians returned home in 2023.
For those who have lived abroad for a long time, the process of returning to Bulgaria is often accompanied by numerous challenges in their efforts to settle back home. A significant obstacle is the fragmentation between various institutions, and often the communication with officials in different government bodies. Katerina Andreeva and Ana-Maria Andreeva, two sisters who know this from personal experience, have created a specialized website - "ZaVrashtane v Bulgaria" ("Back to Bulgaria") - which aims to become a helpful platform that facilitates reintegration in this country.
"We are working on building partnerships with municipalities. We would like them to read the information we publish on the platform and let us know if we have described everything correctly. Also, we hope to receive feedback from individual users going through these processes to ensure that all the steps we describe are accurate," Katerina Andreeva explains in an interview with Radio Bulgaria.
"We believe in Bulgaria's potential and in the ability of Bulgarians to contribute to our development," the sisters say, and they continue ambitiously developing their project:
"We aim to help create active communities in various cities across the country, because this summer we met many active and innovative people who are not based only in Sofia. We want to show those who are returning to Bulgaria or those who wish to move to another city that it is possible without leaving the country. We also want to create a space where citizens can discuss issues that matter to them in their city. These discussions could be held with experts, different perspectives could be heard, and hopefully, a consensus could be reached on what could be changed in the respective area."
In addition to providing useful information in both Bulgarian and English on topics like how to find a job, obtain necessary documents, buy a home or car, and enroll children in school, the platform offers firsthand experiences through a special video series of interviews.
"Our podcast is called "Back to Bulgaria", where we present stories of Bulgarians who have decided to live in this country, who believe in their potential, and create products that are not only of personal interest but also contribute to society's development," says Ana-Maria. "There are definitely many stories, and we constantly find people who have lived here or are now settling in but are doing things that, perhaps, the majority think are impossible in Bulgaria. Yet, against the odds, they are succeeding."
Although they were born in the United States and could have lived there, the two sisters have always wanted to settle and work in Europe, so their move to Bulgaria was not accidental:
"I was born in Minnesota, as was my sister, but then my parents moved to Texas. I stayed there until I was 19, but I always had the idea that I wanted to live in Europe. I lived in Burgas for one year, then I moved to Utrecht, where I lived for eight years. I went there, but I knew I wanted to return to Bulgaria and do something, although I didn’t know exactly what at that time. In the Netherlands, I worked for several start-ups, which continued for a while even after I returned to Bulgaria. Later, however, I decided to leave that behind and focus entirely on ZaVrashtane v Bulgaria, which I consider a cause that is closer to my heart," Katerina concludes.
English publication: Rositsa Petkova
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