9th SEMINAR SMES BERLIN 6-8 OCTOBER 2005 Dignity&Health Denied identity – illegal migrants: dignity and health without borders Author: Ekaterina Terzieva Bulgarian Red Cross /BRC/- Youth Section /BG/

The Bulgarian Red Cross is a volunteer organisation, which is a part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and is guided by its fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. Through its network of volunteers in the whole country, the BRC provides assistance to the vulnerable people in disaster and crisis situations. By training programmes and activities for the benefit of the society, the BRC contributes to alleviate and prevent suffering in all its forms, protects health and life and ensures respect for the human being. The Bulgarian Red Cross is a volunteer organisation, which is a part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and is guided by its fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. Through its network of volunteers in the whole country, the BRC provides assistance to the vulnerable people in disaster and crisis situations. By training programmes and activities for the benefit of the society, the BRC contributes to alleviate and prevent suffering in all its forms, protects health and life and ensures respect for the human being. The Refugee-Migrant Service /RMS/ of BRC is committed to facilitating refugee integration, to preventing the isolation of migrants, and to promoting tolerance towards both groups in the Bulgarian society. In accordance with the Red Cross principles for impartiality and humanity, the RMS of BRC is trying to assist the most vulnerable refugees, to confront the xenophobia and to raise the public awareness and the tolerance towards the refugees in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC) has been involved in refugee assistance and protection since For the time being it is the main non-governmental organisation offering social services to and facilitating the integration of the refugees in Bulgaria. The Refugee-Migrant Service (RMS) of BRC was established in 1997 as a separate administrative and operative body within the National Committee. The RMS has branches in the BRC regional committees in the cities of Haskovo, Sliven, Burgas, Blagoevgrad, Vidin. In cases of emergency it works closely with the rest 25 regional branches throughout the country.

People of concern to RMS The RMS has projects offering services, financial assistance or assistance in kind to recognised refugees, humanitarian status holders, asylum seekers, stranded migrants and rejected asylum seekers. The RMS is operational on the territory of Bulgaria. It services people every year. From 2005 the service offers food and medicines applicants fot status 'refugee' detained at the border. Legal background The assistance to asylum seekers in procedure and to recognised refugees is included among the main activities of the BRC in the Law of the Bulgarian Red Cross (Chapter 4, article 6.) and in its Charter. The BRC is named in the Law on Refugees, as the agency to work in cooperation with the government for the reception, the social adaptation and in all aspects of the integration of refugees in Bulgaria (Chapter IV, article 37.1,3,4,6,7, article 38.1 and article 29). Funding The activities of the RMS of BRC have been financed by the UNHCR and by European Red Cross national societies. The RMS organises charity and fund raising events with the participation of refugees and gladly accepts donations. National and International networking The RMS of BRC collaborates with the governmental Agency for Refugees within the Council of Ministers, the UNHCR, the IFRC/RC, IOM, National Service Border Police etc. Frequent contacts and cooperation are maintained with all the Bulgarian NGOs, active in this field. The BRC is a member of the European Council for Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) since 1997 and a member of the Platform of People of concern to RMS The RMS has projects offering services, financial assistance or assistance in kind to recognised refugees, humanitarian status holders, asylum seekers, stranded migrants and rejected asylum seekers. The RMS is operational on the territory of Bulgaria. It services people every year. From 2005 the service offers food and medicines applicants fot status 'refugee' detained at the border. Legal background The assistance to asylum seekers in procedure and to recognised refugees is included among the main activities of the BRC in the Law of the Bulgarian Red Cross (Chapter 4, article 6.) and in its Charter. The BRC is named in the Law on Refugees, as the agency to work in cooperation with the government for the reception, the social adaptation and in all aspects of the integration of refugees in Bulgaria (Chapter IV, article 37.1,3,4,6,7, article 38.1 and article 29). Funding The activities of the RMS of BRC have been financed by the UNHCR and by European Red Cross national societies. The RMS organises charity and fund raising events with the participation of refugees and gladly accepts donations. National and International networking The RMS of BRC collaborates with the governmental Agency for Refugees within the Council of Ministers, the UNHCR, the IFRC/RC, IOM, National Service Border Police etc. Frequent contacts and cooperation are maintained with all the Bulgarian NGOs, active in this field. The BRC is a member of the European Council for Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) since 1997 and a member of the Platform of

European Red Cross National Societies for Cooperation in the field of Refugees and Migrants (PERCO) since All the activities of the Refugee-Migrant Service of BRC aim at preventing the isolation of the refugees and at facilitating their integration. The Bulgarian Youth Red Cross participate actively in the work with imigarants and refugees. It was founded in 1921 and was reestablished in 1990 as a part of the Bulgarian Red Cross. In its activities BYRC follows the Strategic Work Plan of the Bulgarian Red Cross and the Youth Strategy and Policy of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Structure According to the Statute of BYRC, approved in October 1996, young volunteers work in clubs, established in schools, universities, and others. The total number of the clubs is 463 with approximately volunteers. Each club determines its main activities in the field of social service, first aid training, health education, environmental protection, and dissemination of the ideas and principles of the Red Cross. Main Activities SOCIAL WELFARE ACTIVITIES As a priority BYRC develops different social welfare activities, responding in this way to the needs of the society. It works in the field of social welfare has two aspects. First, to provide the most vulnerable children /including the cildren of imigrants and refugees/ with food and clothes and, second, to put emphasis on their socialization and reintegration in the society. In relation to these and due to a good bilateral cooperation with the Swiss Red Cross Youth, an interesting project was accomplished: 300 young volunteers were trained in special courses for working with vulnerable children for establishing regular contacts with them.

BYRC volunteers are willing to work with the so called “street children” and 30 volunteers from Sofia were involved in distributing food and clothes among homeless children in the city for a five month period. Every year BYRC organizes a national camp for physically and mentally handicapped and children of immigrants from all over the country. Youngsters take very active part in the organization and different activities in the course of the camp. According to the agreement with Ministry of education, the education providing from the BYRC can be done in Bulgarian schools. Together with Austrian Red Cross we are working on the project about establishment and educating of Youth Rescue Teams. Until the beginning of 2000 year there are 12 established Youth Rescue Teams – Sofia, Plovdiv, Pleven, Blagoevgrad, Varna, Montana, Vidin, V. Tarnovo, Pazardgik, Shumen, Vratsa and Kjustendil.The members of these teams are in first aid, psychological support, orientation, communication, survival in severely extreme conditions, etc. The aims of the project are establishment and maintaining of 28 Youth Rescue Teams, one per each region in the country, to act together with the other services in case of disasters. I mentioned this kind of activities because our volunteers were actively involved and used their knowledge in the last months when Bulgaria was damaged by devastating floods all over the voluntary. We helped to thousand people who were victims of the disaster. BYRC will work together with Disaster preparedness and Relief Department in disaster preparedness and disaster relief programmes. BRCY organizes processions relating to DRUG-prevention. The main purpose is to unite thousands of young people rising against DRUGS. The BRCY has a lot of trainers and peer-leaders, trained to train young people in DRUG-prevention, AIDS-prevention, etc. including among migrant groups.

Conclusions: 1. More active work for realization of the leagal imigrants on the labour market. The main problem is connected with a high level of unemployment in Bulgaria in the context economical crisis and competion on the labour market. 2. Social integration of imigrant groups at risk of social exclusion. 3. Elimination of discriminatory practices for refugees and imigrants. 4. Special work for adecuate help of imigrants and refugees with menthal problems. 5. Lifelong learning, improved training structures and systems for work with imigrants and especialy with women and children. 6. Promotion of self-initiative for better social integration of the imigrants as improvement of language skills and qualification. 7. Equal opportunities for men and women.