Over 1 million Bulgarians in active age are considering emigrating abroad and most of them are people whose incomes are lower than the average monthly salary of EUR 571. Nearly 1.5 million Bulgarians already emigrated in the past 30 years. In other words, one in three Bulgarian children is born abroad. Ivailo Kalfin, former Minister of Labor and Social Policies and member of the Managing Board of the Economics and International Relations Institute summarized the data of the nationwide sociological survey on labor migration commissioned by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation. It was held in September 2018 among 1,000 citizens aged between 18 and 64. Men, persons with secondary education, persons who live in the city and people seeking for a temporary job for up to five years form the profile of the Bulgarian emigrant. These people are not planning to emigrate permanently. Half of the Bulgarians who emigrated in the past and later returned home are planning to leave their home country again. The high migration levels are mainly due to the low salaries, Ivailo Kalfin said and added:

Bulgaria loses potential in the long run due to the emigration. The expectations of higher salaries are not groundless. This is one of the measures to keep the people considering emigrating abroad in this country. The incomes topic is very important, but when we say wages in Bulgaria increase quickly we should note that we are talking about an average statistical increase. Wages of some social groups rise significantly indeed. However, the salaries of other Bulgarians practically froze and are too low. There are just over 4 million Bulgarians in active age (between 18 and 64) and nearly 1 million of them are considering emigrating in other countries, which does not mean all of them would do it. These are not only young people, but people from different age groups. People are also motivated to emigrate by the opportunity to receive social services and healthcare elsewhere and make long term plans. Some people emigrate, because they can raise their children abroad without facing difficulties. The kindergartens and nurseries are free in many European countries and people can work with flexible work schedules. The young couples must be guaranteed that their children receive good care while they are focused on their jobs.

The survey is accompanied with proposals for concrete policies, because problems are not solved through higher pay only, Ivailo Kaflin says:

We must adopt concrete measures to encourage the Bulgarians and the people of Bulgarian descent to return to their home country, rather than think emotionally only. The current policy line of this country cannot offer better conditions. All European countries are looking to recruit people in tourism, transport sector, etc. The salaries in these sectors are not competitive which makes people work abroad for higher remuneration. We must raise the issue about the low incomes in Bulgaria. Moreover, the lowest incomes in Bulgaria are taxed, unlike other EU countries. Income tax rate in Bulgaria is low indeed, but the people who work for a minimum salary also pay taxes. The emigrants returning to Bulgaria should be able to adapt easily if we want to make more people come back. These people should know Bulgarian and continue their education in Bulgarian schools. Many Bulgarian emigrants are considering returning to Bulgaria and start a business with their savings. That is why we must find a way to keep the ones who are planning to leave this country and at the same time provide the necessary labor conditions for those who intend to return to Bulgaria.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov