Why bother going illegal when so many loopholes exist?

[OL7MAX]

And the latest is the Bulgarian passport. Wherever in the world you are Bulgaria will be happy to give you a passport (on a small payment). Just hang on to that till Jan 2007 when Bulgaria joins the rich club and voila! you can live and work in the UK.

OK, the Bulgarian rules for naturalisation insist you are of good health, clean character (your local police need to certify no criminal convictions) etc., but most people can provide all that paperwork. The only one you might find difficult proving is that you can speak Bulgarian. However, don't despair, in theory you need to be able to speak it but in practise they're aren't really fussed. Maybe you can solemnly promise to think about learning Bulgarian when you retire. Or promise to buy an English-Bulgarian dictionary. Or learn to smile in Bulgarian.

So now that anyone with £1500 can get a legal, proper Bulgarian passport that allows them unrestricted access to the UK job market why bother hanging around Sangatte to jump a ferry?

[OL7MAX]

I got my first PM about this. I realise now that this thread could attract a lot of PMs! Please note: I am not here to sell any services or provide any advice on this matter either free or for a fee. I regret that any PMs on this subject will just get deleted. My apologies in advance.

[British]

Is this really true?????

I think British govt. should re-think about their support for allowing Bulgaria into the expanding EU system then. From what you are saying, it looks like anybody can get a Bulgarian passport and then simply come to UK. This will lead to chaos, more crime, etc. in the UK because everybody will go for this route.

I am really disaapointed that the UK govt. or as a matter of fact, the entire EU, did not even know that this loophole exists!!!!!! Unbelieveable stuff.

If this is all true, I, as a British citizen would not want Bulgaria to be part of EU. (No dis-respect mean to Bulgaria as a country, but if it is so easy to get their passport through legal channels in couple of weeks time and then walk into any EU country, then its horrible.)

I am personally not happy because, it took me 5.5 years of "continuous" legal stay in the UK, having contibuted a lot for capital creation and value-addition to UK economy, etc., etc., to be finally naturalised as a British citizen, and somebody else (from Jan 2007) can simply "get" a Bulgarian passport in a couple of weeks and walk-in to UK/EU and start working/living without restrictions???? Ludicrous!

I think there must be a catch somewhere... i cannot belive this stuff. Are you sure its so easy to get a Bulgarian passport and walk into EU, "just like that"?

I mean, any person can easily prove they are of good character, etc, stuff that you have described to get a Bulgarian passpost. Going by that, its going to be a nightmare!

As a consequence of what you are saying, an average person need not even take the effort of getting a tourist visa to visit EU.
If they want to vist and tour around EU, they would simply apply and get a Bulgarian passport instead of a EU tourist visa:-):-) - i.e. all EU countries can simply close their immigration systems/depts. and Bulgaria will become a one-stop shop for getting entry into EU.

What a crap and mess!

Anyway, if this is all true and EU governments did not know about this loophole, then its ridiculos!!!!!

EU governments - please wake up and sort out this s***!!!!

This news is the "shock of the day" for me!

Note: Thinking about this, i think this will completely rsolve the asylum concept around the world - because all you need is a Bulgarian passport which you can "get" in a couple of week time an dwalk into the EU happily.

OL7MAX - are you sure about what you have said today?????

[OL7MAX]

I, as a British citizen would not want Bulgaria to be part of EU

Tough. You don't get a say. In fact, I doubt the British govt gets very much of a say. In any event, this is just one of the loopholes. Romania will be joining soon too. What about the countries already in who have lax passport controls? There are loads of them (even the British HO isn't squeaky clean). Of course governments know about this. They're still fighting to get existing members to tighten passport control since...well, likely before you were born.

are you sure about what you have said today

Yup. It first appeared in the Telegraph but I don't trust everything journalists say, even in the "quality" dailies, so I did my own research.

I am personally not happy because, it took me 5.5 years of "continuous" legal stay

That's an unbelieveably mean, self-centered, arrogant, pretentious, narcissistic, selfish, parsimonious, petty bit of whining I've ever heard. If you take 40 years to become a millionaire the next Richard Branson should be made to give up his legal earnings just so he doesn't get rich quicker than you did? Disgusting! Why does your period of continuous legal stay set a yardstick?

If you miss the Bulgarian and Romanian passport giveaways there are numerous other loopholes. There are numerous African countries who'll give you a diplomatic passport for a small "fee". Pucca, legal, diplomatic passports. These are even better than Romanian ones because it gives you other privileges like taking dodgy stuff through customs, not paying parking fines... that kind of thing. Oh, yes, and a minor other matter - freedom from income tax.

My point wasn't to make some great revealation about Bulgarian passports but to point out that there are numerous loopholes limited only by one's ingenuity, contacts and budget.

Stamping down hard on illegal immigration is only to placate the card carrying anti-immigration lovey and to appear tough in the press.

[British]

"That's an unbelieveably mean, self-centered, arrogant, pretentious, narcissistic, selfish, parsimonious, petty bit of whining I've ever heard. If you take 40 years to become a millionaire the next Richard Branson should be made to give up his legal earnings just so he doesn't get rich quicker than you did? Disgusting! Why does your period of continuous legal stay set a yardstick?"

I disagree. What i am trying to say here is that somebody can almost buy a Bularian passport for £1500 and come to UK in a couple of week's time when others had to do it in the hard way. I was indeed speaking for all of the people who had to go through this UK settlement route and finally to get British citizenship, not only about me. But that is my personal view, you cannot accuse me as selfish, and other crap stuff you have just said.

[Rogerio]

Chill out peeps....

From http://www.bulgarianembassy.org.uk/citi ... pAct1.html

I hope it's still the case.... Whether it's enforced is a different matter...

Chapter Two ACQUISITION OF BULGARIAN CITIZENSHIP

Section III

Acquisition of Bulgarian Citizenship through Naturalization

Article 12

Any person who is not a Bulgarian citizen may acquire Bulgarian citizenship if as of the date of filing an application for naturalization:

1. is a major;

2. was granted permission for permanent residence in the Republic of Bulgaria not less than five years ago;

3. has not been sentenced by a Bulgarian court for a premeditated crime of a general nature and has not been the subject of criminal proceedings for such a crime unless the person concerned has been rehabilitated;

4. has an income and occupation enabling him/her to support himself/herself in the Republic of Bulgaria;

5. has a command of the Bulgarian language subject to verification in accordance with a procedure established by an order of the Minister of Education and Culture, and

6. (New SG No. 41/2000) was released from his/her previous citizenship or will be released from his/her citizenship as of the moment of acquiring the Bulgarian citizenship.

[British]

"2. was granted permission for permanent residence in the Republic of Bulgaria not less than five years ago; "

Ahhh - See, like i thought so, there is this catch. Then fine . From what OL7MAX described, it sounded as though somebody could just "get" a Bulgarian passport and come to UK "just like that".

[OL7MAX]

Make a point that new immigrants shouldn't be admitted because
- there is no more housing
- there are not enough jobs
- existing public services are already stretched
etc., etc. would be arguments based on conviction.

You using your length of stay as the yardstick depresses me and makes me cringe. Sorry if I offended you.

Rogerio, as I said, there a difference between rules and practise. Use any Bulgairan passport agent and you'll discover what you really need. And it's not very much. More than half that stuff on the list is not required to be submitted/proven at all! And the brokers/agents are not difficult to find. They operate everywhere from Macedonia to Moscow.

But, like I said, this isn't some big disclosure, it's already common knowledge. My point is that there are numerous loopholes.

[Rogerio]

Hey, I just got a great business idea !!!! Kidding.

[British]

"Make a point that new immigrants shouldn't be admitted because
- there is no more housing
- there are not enough jobs
- existing public services are already stretched
etc., etc. would be arguments based on conviction. "

Agreed , point taken!

[Rogerio]

Good to see you're all a happy family !

[JAJ]

And the latest is the Bulgarian passport. Wherever in the world you are Bulgaria will be happy to give you a passport (on a small payment).

Are we talking about a real Bulgarian passport - or a fake?

[OL7MAX]

JAJ, as far as I know the brokers make all the arrangements but you specify the Belgian embassy/consulate that is most convenient for you and you pick it up directly from there. I can't vouch for the legitimacy of the document but I wouldn't expect the fake passport market to work quite like that. Can we move past this? (Anyone still in doubt - do your research and you'll find that this Bulgarian/Romanian passport issue is common knowledge and works just like some of the other recent entrants to the EU.)

If I may put my point differently: The tough talk on illegal immigration, firm but fair etc., etc., may all be a smokescreen. The biggest "holes" are the ones there is least publicity about. Your attention is diverted, you are looking in the wrong place, all's well with the world (and with public opinion and the build up to the next election).