S-7 slide 1

Illegal Immigration

Early 2002

S-7 slide 2

Illegal Immigration

• Ukraine has suffered 2 years of continuous drought

– Ukrainian agriculture, and hence the overall economy, is collapsing

– There is massive unemployment and unrest

– Growing numbers of Ukrainians seek to emigrate in hopes of finding employment

• EU countries are tightening restrictions on immigrant labor

S-7 slide 3

Illegal Immigration — cont’d

• Lured by Bulgaria’s strong economic performance in 2000, would-be Ukrainian gastarbeiters began to enter Bulgaria

– The number of Ukrainian immigrants increased in 2001 from hundreds to a few thousand

• By early 2002, many thousand Ukrainians were attempting to enter Bulgaria

– Several thousand have done so illegally

S-7 slide 4

Illegal Immigration — cont’d

• Many European Union countries are facing a similar problem in early 2002

– There is a steady stream of illegal immigrants from the south and east

– EU governments have largely failed to stop the flow

• The press and several political parties in Bulgaria are agitating for the government to “do something” to solve this problem