About 48 million Euros from the EU will be Directed to Ukrainian Refugees in Bulgaria

About 48 million euros of the 148 million euros Bulgaria received from the European Union will be directed to Ukrainian refugees in our country. This was commented by the Deputy Prime Minister for Effective Governance Kalina Konstantinova during a discussion at the House of Europe on the topic "The Road ahead for Ukrainian Refugees in Europe and in Bulgaria", quoted by BTA.

The European Commission has paid more than 3.5 billion euros to EU member states for Ukrainian refugees, of which Bulgaria has received 148 million euros in cohesion funds. These 148 million euros from the EU under REACT-EU are an advance payment under this program - funds set aside for solidarity support to member states during the Covid pandemic said Konstantinova.

"I hope that next week we will launch a measure related to employment support - support for rent for three months through the employer and thus stimulate the employment of refugees from Ukraine," Konstantinova explained. She added that she is in a hurry with two other measures related to the support of the NGO sector for field work and construction of centers for children.

She pointed out that Bulgaria ranks first in the European Union in the percentage of issued documents for temporary protection of refugees. To date, this percentage exceeds 85%.

More than 200,000 people fleeing the war have passed through Bulgaria. There are about 100,000 left in Bulgaria, the Deputy Prime Minister explained. According to her, our country is doing well in welcoming and providing assistance to refugees, as there are already about 200 registration desks in the country. The next even more complicated task is ahead - to chart the path for their inclusion in Bulgaria, added Kalina Konstantinova.