Thank God For Bulgarians Abroad

Georgi Papakochev, Deutsche Welle Bulgaria

The Bulgarian seasonal workers and the permanently living abroad emigrants have long since become “sponsors of the fatherland”. Without their money transfers, thousands of people in Bulgaria could not survive.

The high unemployment in certain Bulgarian regions and the higher wages abroad, force thousands of Bulgarians to leave the country each spring. They go to Germany, Greece, Italy or some other EU country to work for a few months at construction sites, in the tourist sector or agriculture. The money they manage to save ensures the sustenance of their families in Bulgaria. 

The work abroad becomes increasingly important for the poorest EU member. According to estimates of the economist Emil Hursev, each year the Bulgarians working abroad transfer to the country between EUR 800 000 and 1M. Roughly the same sum is brought into the country in cash by the workers themselves, whenever they briefly return to Bulgaria. “Those EUR 2 B, which are 5% of the entire GDP of Bulgaria are pure income – ready for spending money, which pays for various goods and services,” Hursev said. He also points out that those working abroad bring into national economy not only money to sustain their families and savings, but also to invest. 

In an interview for DW, prof. Iskra Hristova-Balkanska of the Institute for Economic Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Science (BAN), said that the money transfers of the more qualified Bulgarians are considerably higher than those of the ordinary workers. “The more qualified people with good jobs prefer to invest in their current country – for the education of their children, personal qualifications, own home,” she said. But she confirms that...