Rising Number of Women, Children Seek Refugee Status in Bulgaria

An increasing number of women, children, and orphans are seeking refugee status in Bulgaria. Photo by BGNES

An increasing number of women and children are applying for a refugee status in Bulgaria, according to representatives of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Sofia.

A total of 18 378 people applied for a refugee status in Bulgaria in 1993-2010 but it was granted to only 1 497 of them. Bulgaria first started granting refugee status in 1993.

Another 4 395 foreigners have been granted the second form of state protection, “humanitarian status. In 2010 so far 413 foreigners sought protection in Bulgaria, with 6 receiving refugee status and 45 – humanitarian status.

According to Boris Cheshirkov from the Sofia Office of the UN Refugee Agency, while in the past most of those seeking refuge in Bulgaria were single men, more and more women and children or orphans are applying for a refugee status.

In his words, most of the refugees coming to Bulgaria are from Iraq and Afghanistan as well as other countries in the Middle East, Asia, and North Africa.

These figures were announced a at news conference Monday of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Bulgaria and the Association for Integration of Refugees and Migrants.

The two organizations presented a handbook about the rights and responsibilities of recognized refugees in Bulgaria. It is based on the existing legislation and will be published in Bulgaria, English, Arabic, and Persian.

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