1 in 2 persons who have obtained Bulgarian citizenship based on special merits and contributions to Bulgaria is an athlete, Justice Minister Atanas Slavov said, in answer to a question by MP Kristina Petkova. She also asked Minister of Sports Dimitar Iliev where each of the athletes with a Bulgarian citizenship by merit has played and where they are playing now, but has not received an answer so far. The answer given by the minister of justice makes it clear that 392 files for acquiring citizenship by merit were opened in the period from the beginning of 2008 until the end of August 2023. The ministry’s citizenship council has approved 52 proposals. The applications for citizenship of 8 athletes were approved in 2022. In 2021, out of 15 foreigners who acquired citizenship by merit, 9 were athletes.