For nearly 4 months, a Bulgarian woman and her baby have been stranded in Serbia and cannot return to our country. The reason – the woman gave birth prematurely in Nis while traveling from Austria to Bulgaria.
The Serbian authorities refuse to issue a passport to the child without the consent of both parents. However, there is no trace of the father and he is being searched for. Boryana and her husband met in Austria, where they both live and work. Almost a year ago, however, the man, who is a Serbian citizen, abandoned them.
The Bulgarian woman decides to come home to us, where she will give birth and raise her child alone. Shortly before the Serbian-Bulgarian border, however, the woman had contractions and was hospitalized – a month before her due date. Thus, the mother understands that she cannot return to Bulgaria, since the child cannot leave Serbia without a signature from the father. Such are the laws in our country, said our authorities in Nis.
An unfortunate coincidence. This is how Boryana determines the appearance of her daughter in the world right in Serbia – the homeland of her husband, with whom she has not seen or heard from for almost a year. “It was not my goal to give birth to her in Serbia at all. I was on my way to Bulgaria, where the birth itself was planned. It never crossed my mind that something like this could happen. Unplanned and exactly a month earlier than he was supposed to be born”, says Boryana.
After the birth of Lena, Boryana understood that they could no longer continue to Bulgaria if there was no consent from the father. Both have been living in a hostel in Nis for several months.
ONLY ON NOVA: The mother of the swapped baby spoke, wishing to remain anonymous
“It is very difficult to raise a baby in a hostel. However, I have support from the owners of this hostel. And even though they don’t have any conditions to raise a small baby, I manage somehow. I want to thank all the people who help”, the woman points out.
Among them is our consul in Nis, who assisted Boriana in obtaining a birth certificate from the municipality. However, this does not mean that she can travel with the baby.
“From there the case arises – without a signature from the person named as the father in the birth certificate, we cannot issue an identity document, a passport. The same applies under Serbian legislation. This is exactly the problem”, says Dimitar Tsanev, Consul of Bulgaria in Nis.
However, there is no sign of the man. “Serbian authorities are looking for him, they are looking for him, but as far as I know there is no connection with him. It is possible that it is not on the territory of Serbia”, the consul is categorical.
“Right now, no one knows and I myself don’t know where he is,” said the Bulgarian.
Thus, the only option left for the Bulgarian woman is to file a lawsuit – to award parental rights only to her and dissolve the marriage. She also contacted a lawyer. And within days, Boryana and Lena will be transferred to an institution for accommodation of mothers with children.
“A special home in Belgrade with everything you need. I will also be given food for me and for little Lena – milk, diapers, until we finish all the other procedures, so that I can get her a passport and go home to Bulgaria. My plan is to be in Bulgaria with my parents”, says Boryana.
And finally to introduce them to their granddaughter, whom they have been seeing only from the phone screen for almost 4 months now.
