Integration of refugees in Bulgaria 2017: Comprehensive monitoring report is the first Bulgarian monitoring report under the National Integration Evaluation Mechanism (NIEM) project. Its aim is to provide in-depth data on the quality of the legal framework and policies supporting the long-term integration of beneficiaries of international protection (BIPs) in Bulgaria, as well as to examine their implementation and effect on the target group.

The research is conducted in a comparative plan in 15 countries of the European Union (EU) - Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Hungary, France, Czech Republic, and Sweden.

This report is accurate as of April 2017.

The research under NIEM assumes that integration is a responsibility of the state, while NGOs and EU funds have a supporting role.  This is why it evaluates solely the activities funded from the state budget.

The cross-country comparison covers 12 dimensions:

• Mainstreaming
• Residency
• Family reunification
• Access to citizenship
• Housing
• Employment
• Vocational training and employment-related education
• Health
• Social security
• Education
• Language learning and social orientation
• Building bridges

The NIEM methodology uses qualitative and quantitative methods. It basically consists of a complex system of over 170 indicators – a tool for scoring the performance of each state in the 12 dimensions of integration of BIPs, which allows objective measuring, comparing, monitoring progress, etc.

The report methodology introduces an additional perspective for addressing integration: three stepstones with the following focus:

1. Setting the legal framework;
2. Building the policy framework;
3. Implementation and collaboration.

The above differentiation is yet another instrument whereby, in addition to verifying the existence of certain legislation and policies, an analysis can be made of how efficient they are in terms of their application, and, respectively, in terms of specific positive outcomes for the end beneficiaries.

The scoring by the various indicators and dimensions is based on a standardized questionnaire and evaluation by means of a scoring system. This approach allows maximum objectivity and a cross-country comparison based on specific, measurable data and facts. The maximum number of points is 100. In order to assess these scores, 4 broad ranges have been determined on a scale whereby the existence or absence of a legal framework, policies or practice is assessed: critically lacking (score below 25), marginally supportive (score below 50), moderately supportive (score below 75) and broadly supportive (score up to 100).

Some of the main conclusions are:

• The quality of integration policies for beneficiaries of international protection vary widely across European countries, in spite of the standards set by EU and international law
• The quality of integration policies for beneficiaries of international protection vary widely across European countries, in spite of the standards set by EU and international law
• No significant differences exist between different categories of destination countries. Rather, distinct variations exist among countries within these groups
• Language learning and social orientation support is not universally provided, and significant quality differences among the assessed countries persist
• States perform better in creating a legal framework than in taking steps to develop policies and implement them
• Collaboration and joint policy delivery with civil society and local and regional levels of governments is a missed opportunity in most of the countries assessed
• Collaboration and joint policy delivery with civil society and local and regional levels of governments is a missed opportunity in most of the countries assessed.
• Bulgaria is one of the countries that provides the least support for the integration of beneficiaries of international protection

The National Integration Evaluation Mechanism (NIEM) project is implemented by Multi Kulti Collective and Bulgarian Council on Refugees and Migrants in partnership with UNHCR and is co-financed by the European Union under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.