Relations and dependencies between the economic development and migration processes are the subject of this article, i.e. Emigration and immigration, as well as their influence on the demographic development of the Bulgarian population in the last three decades. The ongoing processes in this area are addressed from the point of view of the system approach, migration in the world and the development of free movement of citizens in the EU, within the context of the new migration situation in the world in the recent years. Attention is paid to issues of significant influence on the nowadays migration of the population - the development of economies, demographic processes and professional careers, processes and factors that have not only a direct but also indirect influence on migration and on population and economy, respectively. A special focus in the article is given to the development and interruption of the professional trajectory and the migration of women. Processes and policies that have an indirect influence are also outlined, but in practice they have a significant effect on migration processes and the development of the population and the economy.

Results from an analysis of data from a representative national survey, carried out in 2018 within the framework of the project “Measures for overcoming the demographic crisis in the Republic of Bulgaria”, are presented in the paper. Characteristics of the educational structure and of the economic activity of the Bulgarian migrants at their departure from the country are made, which show that the predominant share of them are employed specialists with secondary vocational and higher education. Economic activity and economic spheres where migrants have been employed abroad, as well as main problems before their reintegration after returning in Bulgaria, are identified. An answer to the question whether measures to decrease emigration of highly qualified specialists from the country should be undertaken is looked for.

The economic and political instability over the past three decades has led to significant emigration from Bulgaria. Throughout this period the net migration is negative. Hence, there are a number of consequences in the demographic, economic and social aspect. The effects of emigration are various and it is difficult to be measured. They are mainly related to the negative impact on the number and structure of the population. As a result, although indirectly, they have a significant impact on other demographic, economic and social spheres. To a great extent these processes depend on the size of the emigration flows, the type of emigrants, the structure and size of the economy, the labor conditions and the labor market of the sending country. The relation between the country`s emigration processes and the economic and political development of a country is not one-way street. On the one hand emigration influences the economic and state development, on the other hand the state of the economy and the political stability affect the emigration processes, with the most noticeable impact on the labor emigration. In this article, Bulgaria is considered as a sending country. The aim of the authoris to present and explain some demographic and socio-economic effects of emigration for Bulgaria after 2007.

During the last three decades, international migration is a key factor in the demographic development of Bulgaria. Even though its impact decreases in the last few years, it still continues to reduce the Bulgarian population, and, through its selective functions, to introduce significant negative changes in important structures of the population, which are vital for its reproduction and labor power. It is crucial for the implementation of a certain migration policy not only to determine the scales of the migration flows in and out of the country, but also to study the people’s attitude to emigrate; the conditions and drivers that cause the migration processes, and the associated effects and changes in their scale and composition; people’s attitude toward Bulgarian and foreign migrants; other elements in the general migration behavior. These and other issues are the subject of this paper. The current analysis is based on empirical data from the “Migration and national identity” survey, which was conducted in May 2018.

In recent years, refugees – defined ever more often as “the new others”, “aliens”, “the superfluous people” – constitute a topic that is constantly in the focus of European political debates. In the present situation of growing migration trends, however, the meeting between different cultures, different civilizational, religious, and secular values, increasingly creates tension, provokes fear and rejection rather than hospitality and empathy. European citizens, including Bulgarians, are afraid of the unknown when meeting people who are “alien” to them and hence dangerously unpredictable. This article analyzes the behavior and attitudes of Bulgarians towards refugees in three perspectives. The attitudes of the citizens of Bulgaria are studied based on the results of a national sample survey; the attitudes of local government (local municipal administrations) and local business are investigated based on two studies conducted in the Bulgarian cities Yambol and Gotse Delchev using the case study method; and the attitudes of Bulgarians living in foreign countries (emigrants) are registered through an online survey based on voluntary response.

The paper presents a multifaceted analysis of the possibilities for long-term settlement of refugees arriving in Bulgaria after 2013 in the contex to fnational legislation, policy, public attitudes, and attitudes of refugees the mselves. Part of the results achieved during the implementation of the research project „Measures for Overcoming the Demographic Crisisin the Republic of Bulgaria“, conducted by the Institute for Population and Human Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in the period 2017-2018, are discussed.

The article examines the different stages in the development of the immigration policy of Bulgaria after 1989 regarding the Bulgarians abroad. The different scenarios of the replacement migration in Bulgaria are also examined in accordance with the methodology developed by the United Nations Population Division for its calculation. The migrant potential of the Bulgarian diaspora is compared with the volume of the replacement migration. It is concluded that the number of the Bulgarian diaspora is not sufficient to allow for permanent resolving the existing problems in the demographic reproduction. For this reason, the resettlement of Bulgarians from abroad in Bulgaria can only be an instrument for short- and medium-term impact on demographic processes.