The Ministry of Interior reports twice as many detained refugees in 2020 compared to 2019. The largest increase is in the number of detainees in the internal parts of the country – these are usually people who had already managed to enter without being caught and transit. The increase towards them is nearly 70% on an annual basis. This is shown by the Ministry of Interior’s statistics, which contains data on the attempts of foreigners to enter or leave Bulgaria, as well as on those who are detained inside the country without documents.
Throughout the past year, during which many countries have closed their borders and imposed strict anti-epidemiological measures, the movement of refugees to and from Bulgaria has been dynamic.
The migratory pressure has begun to increase after the summer months, and the first evidence of an increase was in September. As early as July, the number of detainees in the interior began to increase. In October and November 2020, a peak of over 500 and over 300 people was reached (respectively for each month) – nearly ten times more detained migrants in the country compared to the same period in 2019.
Those accommodated in the State Agency for Refugees’ centers are mainly from Syria, and in the last three months of the last year it has been noticed that the number of the so-called voluntarily left is increasing – people who left the centers without a granted status or to be accommodated at an external address. In 2020 more than 3,000 people passed through the centers and more than 2,000 of them left. Only 547 people have left after being granted a status.
Since the beginning of 2020, the number of people with granted status is 716 from nearly 3,000 applications.
You may find more information about the topic here: https://www.dnevnik.bg/bulgaria/2021/02/17/4161192_dva_puti_poveche_bejanci_sa_bili_zadurjani_v_bulgariia/ .
This article is published regarding the implementation of the project “More effective return process through cooperation with other countries according to the EU plan” under contract number 812108-78 / 10.12.2019, funded by The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.
