By EUDO CITIZENSHIP expert Vesco Paskalev

According to an investigation published in the Bulgarian weekly “Capital”, facilitated naturalisation of persons claiming Bulgarian origin from the neighbouring states is rampant with corruption. As a matter of law citizenship is granted by the President upon proposal of the Ministry of Justice, which conducts a thorough investigation of each case. However, to be able to claim the right origin, applicants need to obtain a certificate from the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad (SABA), which can issue them completely arbitrarily, with no evidential requirements and conveniently little media attention. Thus, Bojidar Dimitrov – a notoriously nationalistic historian — as member of the Gerb government in 2009-10 — managed to double the number of newly minted Bulgarians. The subsequent socialist government (2013-2014) reversed gears and started investigations but they stalled soon thereafter. It became clear however, that a self-styled patriotic organisation, the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation, had provided several thousand applicants with an address of residence in the country in its headquarters. With this party likely to support the forthcoming government, a new round of mass naturalisations can be expected. 

Allegedly, the price for acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship along this route is in the range of EUR 2,000 to 3,000.