Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2026 All Rights Reserved

Number of refugees and migrants in Bulgaria decrease two-fold in past six months

Photo: BGNES

The number of refugees and migrants in Bulgaria decreased two-fold in the past six months, data of the State Agency for Refugees and Migration Directorate with the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior show, BGNES informs. Currently, the migrant accommodation centers in Bulgaria are functioning at 55%-60% of their total capacity. The drastic decrease of the number of refugees and migrants is due to three factors. Firstly, migration pressure towards Bulgaria has seen significant decrease in the recent months. 607 illegal foreign nationals have been detained in that country since the beginning of 2017, whereas nearly 2,600 illegal migrants were detained in the same period last year. Secondly, the number of illegal foreign nationals deported back to their home countries has increased significantly, too. 129 illegal migrants were deported from Bulgaria in the past week only. Thirdly, some migrants who stayed in Bulgaria managed to reach other countries in Central and Western Europe. Currently, nearly 1,300 Afghani nationals, just over 1,000 Syrians and nearly 600 Iraqi citizens are residing in Bulgaria.




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Ivelin Mihaylov

Bulgaria’s Anti-Corruption Commission probes 'Velichie' party in major property fraud case

Bulgaria’s Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating a large-scale property fraud and money laundering scheme connected to the 'Historical Park', which is associated with Ivelin Mihaylov, the leader of the Velichie party. Those arrested include the..

published on 11/26/25 2:30 PM
Boyko Borissov

Borissov cites EU defence adjustment to claim a 2026 deficit of 2.7%

The ruling party and the opposition argued about the procedure for the Budget Committee meeting before the final vote on the 2006 budget .  Assen Vassilev, chairman of the We Continue the Change party, attempted to block the committee’s extraordinary..

published on 11/26/25 2:15 PM

Agriculture and forestry workers protest for higher salaries

Employees in the agriculture and forestry sector staged a protest in front of the Parliament, demanding higher salaries for workers in departments that are secondary budget administrators. The protest was organized by the National Federation of..

published on 11/26/25 12:34 PM