On June 9 and 10, 2026, a two-day training seminar titled Protection of Refugees from Gender-Based Violence through the Provision of International Protection was held in the St. Constantine and Helena resort in Varna. The event was organized by the Foundation for Access to Rights - FAR.
The lead lecturer of the training was Atty. Dr. Valeria Ilareva, with facilitators Eng. Maria Netsova, Miroslava Encheva, and Atty. Yanka Kosarova.
Over the course of the two days, participants examined key topics in international refugee law: the qualification of applications for international protection submitted by victims of domestic violence, the landmark 2024 rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union in cases concerning female refugees from Turkey, Iraq, and Afghanistan, the protection of LGBTI+ individuals persecuted due to their sexual orientation, and the internal relocation alternative. Special attention was also given to the new legislative instruments of the EU Pact on Asylum and Migration — the Qualification Regulation, the Asylum Procedure Regulation, and the Reception Conditions Directive, which apply directly from June and July 2026, along with their practical application. The lectures were combined with the analysis of practical case studies and group work.
The participants approached the discussed cases with a high level of responsibility and demonstrated rapid progress: by the end of the seminar, they were working freely and confidently with the subject matter of refugee law. The feedback received from the participants was excellent.
The training was attended by representatives of institutions and organizations from Northern and Eastern Bulgaria, including: SOS Families at Risk Foundation (Varna), NAJA Association (Targovishte), Caritas Ruse/Varna, Energy - NRG NGO (Varna), Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior – Varna, Regional Directorate for Social Assistance – Varna, Social Assistance Directorate – Varna, Bulgarian Red Cross – Varna, Regional Directorate for Social Assistance – Dobrich, Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior – Ruse, Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior – Burgas, and Regional Directorate for Social Assistance – Ruse. The total number of participants was 35 people.
The seminar was held within the framework of the project From Victim to Winner: Support for Refugees, Victims of Gender-Based Violence, implemented with the financial support of the Bulgarian Fund for Women and the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Bulgarian Fund for Women, the European Union, or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the BFW, nor the EU, nor the EACEA can be held responsible for them.
