Nationality law

The Bulgarian Parliament has voted to amend citizenship laws, making proficiency in the Bulgarian language a prerequisite for obtaining citizenship. The amendment, proposed by the Council of Ministers, received overwhelming support with 154 votes in favor and 22 abstentions during the first reading.

The Council of Ministers has given its seal of approval to a pivotal decision, endorsing a bill that introduces crucial amendments to the Bulgarian citizenship act. The proposed changes add a significant condition for individuals of Bulgarian descent or those with a parent possessing Bulgarian citizenship: mandatory proficiency in the Bulgarian language.

British men are being paid thousands of pounds to pose as the fathers of migrant women's children, a BBC investigation has found.

The Equal Opportunities Ombudsman recommended to the Ministry of education, Science and Sport to change the higher education act following an analysis that found the act discriminates against foreign students in subsidised housing.

Turkish and Austrian passports in 2017. Photo: EPA/LISI NIESNER

The Bar Association said in a statement that citizenship "expresses a legal and political bond and commitment to the state", and that putting a financial value upon it "has made the concept of citizenship abstract and alienated it from its essence".

Residential property sales in Turkey surged 20.6 percent on an annual basis in March, according to data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) on April 15.

A total of 134,170 houses were sold last month, up from 111,241 in March 2021, TÜİK said in its monthly report.

Svetlana Telpiz is a native of Moldova. However, she feels Bulgarian. "I want to tell my story of despair and endless waiting in the hope of obtaining Bulgarian citizenship," she wrote in a letter to the media.

Some 22 percent of the real estate purchases by foreign nationals were conducted in order to obtain citizenship, a study has showed.

Foreign nationals, who buy a property worth at least $250,000, can apply for Turkish citizenship.

Turkey on Sept. 8 denied claims that it granted citizenship to 3,000 Afghan nationals in return for payment.

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"The claims that the U.S. made 3,000 Afghans nationals the citizens of the Republic of Turkey in return of a price are absolutely false," the Directorate General of Civil Registration and Citizenship Affairs said in a statement.

"I have received confirmation that I am not a Canadian citizen. The Canadian authorities informed me on Friday that the documents proving this fact had been sent to the Canadian Embassy in Romania, where they could be obtained from me."

This was stated by the Caretaker Minister of Economy Kiril Petkov in his statement.