What happens when a person cannot stay in a country – but also cannot leave it?
This video tells the story of Mr. Changu, a man from Tanzania who lived in Bulgaria for nearly three decades without residence status or identity documents. His case illustrates what it means to live in legal limbo – a situation where the law provides no solution, leaving a person without rights, recognition, or protection. Lawyer Valeria Ilareva, Chairperson of the Foundation for Access to Rights (FAR) and partner in the FAiR project, has represented Mr. Changu for 24 years.
Together, they took his case all the way to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which reaffirmed that every person – regardless of nationality or status – is entitled to basic human rights under EU law. On April 23, 2025, Bulgaria’s Supreme Administrative Court ruled that Mr. Changu’s human dignity had been violated and granted him humanitarian status. This story stands as a reminder: the EU is built on human rights and the rule of law – and those values must be upheld for everyone.