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Photo: pixabay
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Since the beginning of the pandemic, the money sent by emigrants to Bulgaria has decreased by 87%, according to BNB data, BNT reported. Last year, they transferred 161 million euros to their relatives.
The reason for the drastic decline is that many Bulgarians have lost their jobs due to the covid crisis and have returned to their native places.
The pandemic sent more than 30,000 Bulgarian emigrants back home. At least that’s how many have a new address registration in our country. However, their number is much higher. Due to the covid crisis, the low-skilled staff was the first to lose their jobs, as well as those employed in the restaurant and hotel industry. This is one of the reasons why the money of Bulgarians abroad has melted seven times since the pandemic ruled the world. Economic analysts are also not optimistic that Bulgarians’ incomes abroad will increase in the next ten years. However, most money in our country comes from Germany, USA, Spain and Great Britain.
After 22 years in London, Nina Hristova returned to Ruse. This time forever. She said: “The situation in Britain is not good. Many Bulgarians are coming home because they use the social system. They stopped, changed it, thank God. I have a company, I work with Bulgarians and I do not want to work with them. This is a sick topic for me.”
Thanks to her cleaning company, Nina has set aside money every month to help her father.
“BGN 200 goes for medicines, BGN 400 is his pension, BGN 200 remains. Make a calculation of how much money I have to send him to live normally,” says Nina Hristova.
Due to the crisis, many Bulgarians abroad are already receiving lower wages.
“This money has decreased in the range of 75-80%. No matter how thrifty Bulgarians are, very few can set aside. They set aside in the range of 200-300 euros. Of course, this is above the minimum pension in our country and they support their parents “, commented Krassimir Enimanev, Head of the Department of Economics at Angel Kanchev University.
Yordanka Spirova last saw her granddaughter 14 years ago when she visited Germany. He can’t wait to hear her voice on the phone.
“He sends me medicine, some money, when he can. We spend our lives somehow scarcely because we worked a lot, we took a little pension. He says: Grandma, I love you! I can help you with this,” said Yordanka Spirova.
Grandma Yordanka’s granddaughter has no intention of returning to Bulgaria. She, like many other qualified professionals, has settled permanently abroad and moved her families.
“They have taken many positions of responsibility in these countries and they have decided that their capital will be needed there, and this capital has been reduced to almost 50 per cent of that which came before, and this money is no longer the largest investor in the Bulgarian economy.” added Krassimir Enimaev.
Bulgarians send the least money abroad in November, and the most in May.
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