Bulgaria: Information on societal attitudes toward ethnic Bulgarians who marry Roma or ethnic Macedonians, and on the treatment in the workplace and the legal system of ethnic Bulgarians who do so
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 January 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | BGR22873.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Bulgaria: Information on societal attitudes toward ethnic Bulgarians who marry Roma or ethnic Macedonians, and on the treatment in the workplace and the legal system of ethnic Bulgarians who do so, 1 January 1996, BGR22873.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abc430.html [accessed 18 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In a telephone interview on 25 January 1996, the chair of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee in Sofia provided the following information. Society at large does not regard Roma as the equals of ethnic Bulgarians, and consequently disapproves of ethnic Bulgarians who marry Roma; the friends and family members of ethnic Bulgarians who marry Roma often register the strongest disapproval. Ethnic Bulgarians who marry Roma may be viewed with suspicion by their colleagues at work, and their working relationships with their colleagues may deteriorate. The source is aware of instances in which the marriage of an ethnic Bulgarian to a Roma significantly contributed to the former's loss of employment.
The source added that among those who work in the legal system, there is strong racial prejudice against Roma, and it is probable, therefore, that ethnic Bulgarians who marry Roma would encounter discrimination when they utilize or are involved in the legal system. The source did not provide information on the situation of ethnic Bulgarians who marry ethnic Macedonians, and information on this subject could not be obtained among the other sources consulted by the DIRB.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Sofia. 25 January 1996. Telephone interview with chair.
Additional Sources Consulted
DIRB country file on Bulgaria.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Reports. Daily.
Other oral sources.
RFE/RL Research Reports [Munich]. Weekly.
Transition: Events and Issues in the Former Soviet Union and East-Central and Southeastern Europe [Prague]. Bi-monthly.
