Bulgaria, as an external border country of the EU, has begun to play a key role in accepting refugees from Ukraine, a UN report reads, BTA reports.

So far, the country has accepted over 2.3 million refugees from Ukraine, but most have transited. The Bulgarian government has provided temporary protection to over 204,000 of them, mostly women and children, the report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees shows. As of February 2025, the Bulgarian authorities had provided temporary protection to about 75,250 Ukrainians, while in 2022 they were 67,000. In 2024, over 2,579 Ukrainians acquired Bulgarian citizenship.

Bulgaria continues to be a main entry point for asylum seekers from other conflict-affected regions, the report also reads. In 2024 The Bulgarian State Agency for Refugees registered 12,250 asylum seekers, mainly from Syria and Afghanistan. In 2023, around 22,500 people with such status were registered.

Editor: Ivo Ivanov

Publication in English: Alexander Markov

Photo: BTA