The Municipal Council in Varna rejected the municipality's participation in a European project for the integration of third-country nationals. In the vote, 19 councilors were “against“, 8 abstained, and 5 supported the proposal submitted by the city's mayor.
The project is under the procedure “Support for the implementation of integration measures by local and regional authorities“, part of the “Asylum, Migration and Integration“ Fund with a total budget of 77 million euros. The lead beneficiary is the Municipality of Burgas, and partners are Varna, Sofia, Plovdiv and Harmanli.
What the project envisaged
A remote administrative service counter was envisaged for Varna. The measures included information, consultations, interpretation, cultural mediation and referral to services in the fields of education, healthcare, employment, vocational training and social assistance. Training of municipal employees, needs assessment and coordination between the local administration and organizations working with migrants and refugees were also envisaged.
The proposal did not receive the necessary support during the meeting of the local parliament. It was stated in the hall that Varna does not need such a project and that the participation of the municipality is not necessary.
They postponed 115,000 euros for the holidays
The councilors have also postponed the request for the allocation of 115,000 euros before the adoption of the budget of the Municipality of Varna for 2026. The money is planned for the concert at the lighting of the Christmas tree "And our Christmas tree shone", the New Year holidays and the program "Together on New Year's Eve".
The reason is the lack of a detailed plan-account with a breakdown of the costs. In the "Plenary" hall, it was stated that the request is not urgent. Its consideration has been postponed, without a new date being announced.
Sources: Eurocom, Nova Varna