Stuck between politics of ethnic nationalism and multiple responsibilities under international legal regimes, Bulgaria has introduced a laissez-passer integration model for refugees which is in stark contrast with integration policies in Western Europe, but ironically achieves similar results of 'othering' and exclusion. The reception of asylum-seekers and refugees has been similar in other Central and Eastern Europen countries, if not more problematic. This paper looks at the reasons for the preference for such an approach and claims that ethnic nationalism is still alive, albeit well disguised. Engaging with theories of 'othering' and 'otherness' from a historico-legal perspective, it aims to illustrate that, despite insurmountable differences between East and West, the increased mixed migratory flows of 2015 onwards have paradoxically contributed to more cohesion in response to migration and integration on a European level.