In case you receive refusal for family reunification, you have the right to lodge an appeal to the court and request that the court revoke the refusal and order the Agency for Refugees to issue permission for reunification.
The appeal against the refusal for your family to reunite with you in Bulgaria must be lodged to the court within 14 days (2 weeks) from the day on which you received the refusal against your signature.
The appeal has to be lodged before the administrative court with jurisdiction over the area where you live and within which the address on your registration card is located. You are entitled to appeal at two court instance – if you are not happy with the decision of the first court, you can lodge an appeal before the Supreme Court of Bulgaria. The decision of the Supreme Court will be final.
In relation to writing the application, you can approach the lawyers of the Helsinki Committee who provide free legal aid and can help you and consult you on any issues related to the asylum procedure and the appeal.
If you want to lodge an appeal before the court, visit an office of the Helsinki Committee immediately after receiving the decision in order not to miss the deadline for the appeal.
If you want to hire a lawyer who will help you with the court procedure, inform the Helsinki Committee about this. Its lawyers will write a special application requesting the appointment of a free-of-charge lawyer by the court.
The lawyer appointed by the court will not have the right to ask for money from you in order to represent and defend you during the court procedure, because such a lawyer is paid by the Bulgarian state.
