Emigration as a Resource: Bulgarian Citizens in the EU
Emigration as a Resource: Bulgarian Citizens in the EU

Summary/Abstract: The dynamics of emigration from Bulgaria have varied in the years after 1989. Eagerly consumed freedom or a result of structural factors, emigration from Bulgaria is often presented in political discourse as a national catastrophe. The notorious phenomenon of ‘foot voting’ of the early years of the transition to democracy has undergone some transformations, and nowadays, leaving the country's geographical boundaries no longer implies a refusal to participate in the political entity. On the contrary, there has been a rise in civic engagement among Bulgarian expatriates and the emergence of a new citizenship ‘beyond locations’. This article aims to analyse emigration from Bulgaria as a resource for the sending society in several directions. Following the trends in migration research, the text is based on a sample of 100 questionnaires and several semi-structured interviews. It is a pilot study within the project ‘Connectivity and Solidarity with Bulgaria of Mobile Bulgarian Citizens in the EU: Values, Innovation, Activism’ funded by the Fund for Scientific Research.

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