CLA – Voice in Bulgaria: Ensuring the protection of migrants with precarious status
Centre for Legal Aid – Voice in Bulgaria
The organisation
The Centre for Legal Aid – Voice in Bulgaria is an NGO based in Sofia whose mission is to ensure respect for the human dignity of refugees and migrants and to contribute to their empowerment and independence. CLA – Voice in Bulgaria sets out to promote and protect the rights of migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable groups on the territory of Bulgaria by providing legal assistance and conducting advocacy.
The organisations provides provide free legal advice to asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, as well as representation in administrative and judicial proceedings at national and European level. They also provide free legal consultations and conduct group information sessions for foreigners detained in Bulgaria.
CLA – Voice in Bulgaria conducts advocacy campaigns and activities aimed at changing public attitudes and establishing institutional and judicial practices – as well as legislation – that is in line with international and European standards. They also conduct research in the field of migration and migration policies and their implementation.
The pilot & main goals
CLA – Voice in Bulgaria has been carrying out an ATD pilot project since 2017 that aims to promote the use of individualised ATD as a mainstream recourse for government institutions, and to further develop the case management model as a tool for the successful implementation of ATD. The pilot works with people who would otherwise be detained or at risk of immigration detention.
CLA-Voice in Bulgaria works according to the principles of holistic case management in order to help to stabilise people in the community and avoid (re)detention while they work to resolve their case. Along with the case management support provided to individuals, CLA-Voice in Bulgaria undertakes advocacy to promote the use of case management and to promote a positive and engagement-based approach to migration management, including through the introduction of legal pathways to regularisation.
Resources
To read the evaluation report for the first 2-year phase of CLA-Voice in Bulgaria’s ATD pilot, click here.
To learn more about immigration detention in Bulgaria, including ATD, click here.
