NEWS

Joint declaration of the President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria

The civil war in Syria has been going on for already a third year in a row. The bloodshed claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people and million of Syrians were expelled from their homes. A proud people with a rich history and culture currently experiences hardship and pain. The inflow of refugees from Syria has been provoked by a conflict that destroys millions of human fates. People escaping from the evil of war are coming over to Bulgaria.

Bulgaria should show a responsible attitude to this problem for the sake of universal values which place life and human rights among the most valuable possessions.

Throughout the years, the Bulgarian people have shown their tolerance and solidarity with the people in trouble. This is part of our national culture and a justifiable reason to be proud.

The issue concerning the refugees and asylum seekers should not be used for political ends. Every country has its mechanisms to cope with illegal immigration. However, a special approach should be adopted to the refugees and it is not accidental that they are the object of international legal protection.

Fuelling fear and hatred, opposing different social group against each other is dangerous and should by no means be tolerated. We should not speculate about providing funding for the refugees. It will neither affect the social security payments of the Bulgarian citizens nor will it have an impact on jobs or our parents’ pensions. The Syrian nationals fleeing from the war are not coming to Bulgaria because they felt well in their country. They do not want our money. They are simply seeking help and protection. Therefore all citizens and public figures should adopt a reasonable and responsible approach. Xenophobia and pseudo-nationalism may deal a serious blow and have long-term consequences on the European image and reputation of our country. They are undermining society from within.

In the past days we have seen incidents that raise concerns, criminal attacks were launched which were coupled with attempts to stir up hatred and resulted in calls for the expulsion of refugees. Stoking hate and intolerance to the different person and inciting people against each other as well as playing with ethnic peace are extremely dangerous and unacceptable actions which should categorically be condemned.

All citizens, politicians and institutions should pool efforts to avoid such acts in the future, efforts aimed at easing the tension and ending hatred and the division of society. The law-enforcement authorities should react adequately.

We call on everyone to show solidarity with and compassion for the suffering of the refugees who are asylum seekers in our country. Let us all prove our humanness and civilization choice.