In the months leading up to the 2007 European enlargement, public space in western Europe was flooded with media warnings that large groups of illiterate, unskilled and poor Bulgarians and Romanians would flock to the West after Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU. Since their accession to the EU, concerns and fears have spread that emigrants from these two postcommunist countries would contribute to soaring rates of crimes against property, and become a heavy burden on the labour market, welfare funds and public housing.

The majority of emigrants from the two new EU member states accept low pay for their labour and many agree to work under conditions which are unacceptable to the blue and white-collar workers in the host countries. Whether this leads to an increased unemployment rate among the local population and to lower salaries in industry is a question which should be further explored.

Within Bulgaria, however, there is a different perception of Bulgarian emigrants; they are seen as young, intelligent, well-educated and highly qualified specialists, who should be given a warm welcome in western Europe, the United States and Canada because of their abilities and industriousness. It is assumed that the image of the Bulgarian emigrant as ill-educated and unskilled, willing to do menial jobs for little money, refers mainly to members of the large minority communities in Bulgaria – Turks, Roma and Bulgarian Muslims.