According to the Bulgarian National Bank for the first nine months of 2011 Bulgarians from abroad made transfers to the country amounting to EUR596.8 million. In comparison, for the same period, foreign direct investments in Bulgaria amounted to around EUR535 million. Cash flows sent by migrants have thus maintained a constant level, as for the entire 2010 they were EUR760 million. A study of Open Society showed the majority of Bulgarians abroad as working mainly temporary and seasonal jobs. The main industries that attract them are hotels, cleaning, construction, trade and agriculture.
The most preferred countries for emigration are Spain, Germany, Italy, Greece and Britain. The Spanish labour market has been opened for Bulgaria since 2007 but the statistics did not show differences in the dynamics of the Bulgarian migration to the country as compared to other EU member states after Bulgaria joined the EU. In the period 2006-2010 Bulgarians in Spain increased by 64.6% and for the same period in Germany had became by 69.2% more, although berlin maintained its market closed. After Denmark, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, Hungary, Greece, Portugal and the Czech Republic gave green light for Bulgarian emigration, the flow to these destinations did not increase. The easier human capital moves, the better for all parties – both those that send workers and those who accept migrants, said economist Krassen Stanchev. According to Mr. Stanchev Bulgarians occupy segments of foreign labour markets that are very difficult to fill from local resources.
The more developed part of Europe clearly showed that it wants Romanian and Bulgarian cleaners, builders, nannies and maids. On December 31, 2011, the second period of prohibition on workers from both countries expired, which so far has been valid for the labour markets in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, France and Britain. Almost all of them extended the veto by the end of 2013 and, although in recent months the government stepped up its position in an attempt to remove restrictions. National Assembly Chairman Tsacheva sent letters to all of the above, Social Minister Mladenov was also an advocate for the free movement of labour force, Football Ambassador Hristo Stoichkov even gave a speech in EU Parliament on the subject.
The problem is that generally the country could not agree concrete measures to persuade Western Europeans who are still suspicious that their ;about markets will undergo cataclysmic changes if workers from the newest two members of the European Union are accepted. So, with the exception of the permission issued by Italy, in the other countries Bulgarians and Romanians still remained as second-class people for which European values are not valid. The fact that we are one of the financially most stable countries on the continent, does not impress anyone. Traditionally, we came under the double EU criteria and will have to wait for the new 2014, if by then we are not presented with an additional mechanism allowing further discrimination.
An example of open and honest European position most surprisingly was given by Italy. Though torn by severe economic crisis, the state fully opened its doors to Bulgarians and Romanians. Small but important step towards re-integration did Germany and Luxembourg. The government of Chancellor Angela Merkel introduced some concessions, which by January 1 cancel the need for visa for graduates performing skilled work in their specialty, for those wishing to continue their professional training, as well as for seasonal workers in agriculture. Berlin motivated its refusing to fully open its labour market with the dire economic situation in Eastern Germany, where there were two times more unemployed than in the western parts of the country.
Luxembourg also conceded to some exceptions. Our students will be allowed to work there without permits, as well as our compatriots who are family members of another citizen of the EU. Eased procedures will be employed in agriculture, viticulture, hotel chains, and for highly qualified scientists and financiers.
