Lawyers from migration centers and employers are considering a class-action lawsuit against the state over lost benefits. They criticize delayed procedures for issuing visas for seasonal workers from third countries, which the tourism industry expects, BNR reports.
The changes to the Law on Foreigners in Bulgaria adopted yesterday by the Parliament will not save the season, and the personnel crisis may lead to the closure of hotels and restaurants in the height of summer, employers believe.
The express adoption of the legal changes took place after the quick reaction of the official minister of tourism, Evtim Miloshev. They refer to the procedures for granting the possibility of long-term and short-term seasonal employment, as well as the possibility of extending the period of stay of foreigners performing seasonal work.
The changes are important and long awaited, but they will not save the season, comment hoteliers who were waiting for workers for May 10, but in the current situation, the optimistic forecast is for June, and the pessimistic one – for July, which for them is unacceptable.
“We have applied for about 25 people from different countries – both from Uzbekistan and from Nepal. There are very big delays in the process of issuing visas. As a result of the entry of Schengen, there are administrative changes in the system of issuing visas. There is an accumulation of a very large number documents that cannot be processed at the consular offices themselves.”
“Procedures are delayed for months. The visible reason is the slow work of the administration. We are waiting for several dozen people.”
Employers on the Southern Black Sea coast have submitted documents for the issuance of visas to nearly 6 thousand people from Uzbekistan. However, not a single visa has been received so far.
In the Bulgarian embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, until recently, the system for issuing visas was replaced by the Schengen visa system. They had two computers on which four people worked, says Plamen Dotov, a legal consultant at a migration center in Burgas.
“Personally, I do not know of a case of a visa being received so far. Classes are already being given for June. These are people who should have arrived at the end of April.”
According to the Acting Minister of Tourism, Evtim Miloshev, the administration is working and is aware of the problem. He advised the media not to present apocalyptic predictions for the season, but to look more positively. According to him, the media should help tourism because it is very sensitive to bombastic news and even the weather forecast affects it.
If there is no adequate response from the state, a collective action for lost benefits is being considered, confirmed Plamen Dotov.
