Мечти и реалност: животът на българските турци без документи във Виена
Dreams and Reality: Life of Undocumented Bulgarian Turks in Vienna

Summary/Abstract: The paper outlines the dimensions of the Bulgarian migration in Vienna, Austria after the fall of the Iron Curtain and the legal situation for the migrants in Austria. It focuses on the problem of undocumented migration and explores one specific group: the group of the undocumented Bulgarian Turks working and living in Vienna.The aim of the paper is to emphasize the outcome and consequences for the individual migrant living on the “undocumented” side of society and their strategies for survival living in perpetual risk of being caught by the police and forced to leave the host country. Based on a number of interviews with a young Bulgarian of Turkish origin, employed by two Austrians of Turkish origin, on data gathered during my work as a legal counselor at the Viennese Fund of Integration and on some fieldwork on three Viennese markets, the following aspects of migration are subject of discussion: transfer of working and behaviour models from the home country to the host country; perception of the own status as an undocumented migrant and motivation for staying in Austria; support networks; family and emotional connections to Bulgaria; basic rights and their enforcement in the home and host country; expectations and future perspectives in Austria and possibilities for acquiring the “documented” status and being granted work and stay permit. The paper argues that the specific group of the undocumented Bulgarian Turks in Vienna develop certain strategies that do not differ drastically from other comparative groups (e.g. the group of undocumented Bulgarians in Vienna), but they preserve certain models of behaviour and tend to live more isolated among themselves. Although they realize that their chances for legal integration in Austria are minimal, they still dream of life in the host country.

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