Turkish Bulgarians first began to emigrate to Italy in the late 1980s due to the so-called “Revival Process” under Bulgaria's communist rule (1984-1989). The aggressive Bulgarisation policies targeted towards the ethnic Turkish minority were resisted by many leading them to be sent to prison or the Belene labour camp followed by deportation from Bulgaria; consequently, many Turkish Bulgarians fled to Turkey and Western Europe, with some arriving in Italy.[7]