For procedures governing the re-acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship, please consult the attached Bulgarian Citizenship Act, promulgated in the State Gazette of 18 November 1998, and Ordinance No. 1 of 19.02.1999 to be Appended to Chapter V of the Bulgarian Citizenship Act, promulgated in the State Gazette of 2 March 1999.

No information on discretionary elements in Bulgarian citizenship law which are used by authorities either to facilitate or hinder the re-acquisition of citizenship by ethnic Turks could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, in 4 January 2000 interview, the President of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee stated that he was not aware of any cases of ethnic Turks encountering problems in re-acquiring Bulgarian citizenship.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below a list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Reference

Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Sofia. 4 January 2000. Telephone interview with the President.

Attachments

Bulgaria. 2 March 1999. Ordinance No. 1 of 19.02.99 to be Appended to Chapter V of the Bulgarian Citizenship Act. Promulgated in the State Gazette No. 19 of 02.03.1999, Vol. 1, No. 178. Translated by the Multilingual Translation Directorate of the Department of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 30 November 1999.

_____. 18 November 1998. Bulgaria Citizenship Act. Promulgated in the State Gazette No. 136 of 18.11.1998, in effect from 19.02.1999, Vol. 1, Series 3, No. 184. Translated by the Multilingual Translation Directorate of the Department of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 20 December 1999.

Additional Sources Consulted

Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) [Sofia]. Aug. 1999-Jan. 2000.

IRB databases.

LEXIS-NEXIS.

REFWORLD.

News.Bg [Sofia]. Jan. 1999-Jan. 2000.

World News Connection (WNC).

Unsuccessful attempts to contact five non-documentary sources.

Internet sites including:

Amnesty International.

Bulgarian Helsinki Committee.

Bulgarian Institute for Legal Development.

Council of Europe.

European Centre for Minority Issues.

Human Rights Watch.

Initiative on Conflict Resolution and Ethnicity.

International Helsinki Federation.

Minorities at Risk Project.

Minority Rights Group.

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Rule of Law Institute.

United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization.