Tension and scandals in front of the Migration Service in Plovdiv. For several months, huge queues of foreigners who want to register in our country have been forming in front of the Ministry of Interior building. Some say they have been waiting since night. Others signal that lists are being made illegally from outside, while people are operating in front, handing out their unofficial numbers and deciding who will be allowed in. People without such "tickets" were often stopped and forced to wait for hours or negotiate to gain access. Among those in line, we meet Sezgin Myumyunov.
„I came at 05:00. There are 15 people ahead of me. We are waiting in the rain. This is the third time since I have come”, he said, NOVA reports.
The man explains that he has been married for four years. His wife is a Turkish citizen and needs to extend her documents for temporary residence in our country.
„We are now waiting for another year for my wife's documents to be extended. We have work to do, everything. It is a lot of stress”, the man added.
„Yesterday I came at 04:00 to ask what documents are needed. Today I have to get another ticket and other documents to bring today and submit”, shares a Russian citizen.
A group of foreign students have been waiting since dawn in the rain and cold. In the six universities in the city, the number of foreign students is 3314. Sometimes foreigners prepare their own waiting list, by making lists and handing out consecutive numbers. However, once inside, this organization fails, since the procedure is to first draw a ticket and everyone individually heads to a specific counter. This often leads to noisy scandals, say those living and working nearby.
“People sleep in their cars or bring chairs and wait. Most are Turkish citizens”, said Lilyana Dudinska.
In a statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they explained that in the “Migration“ sector there are four counters that work without interruption. On average, they serve about 100 people per day. Two of the counters accept citizens from third countries, one is for those from the EU, and the fourth one receives the finished documents. In order to prevent abuse of the waiting and service tickets, a uniformed police officer and four civilian employees from the sector monitor the strict observance of organization and order.
In recent months, there has been a significant increase in third-country citizens who wish to reside and work in our country. The Plovdiv police indicate that last year alone, the total number of people who passed through the sector was over 12 thousand. According to those waiting, all this could be avoided if electronic services were implemented.