Bulgaria Gets Just 1% of EU Migrants, but Ranks High for Unaccompanied Children

More than four million migrants from non EU countries entered the European Union over the course of a single year, with Bulgaria accounting for just about one percent of that total. Despite the relatively small share, Bulgaria ranks among the leading EU states in terms of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum, with around 2,600 children arriving without parents or guardians. During the same period, roughly 1.5 million EU citizens left the bloc.

In numerical terms, the scale of migration into the EU over one year is comparable to the population of Croatia. Spain was the top destination, attracting one in four new arrivals, while Germany followed with around 900,000 migrants. Bulgaria received close to 44,000 people. According to the latest Eurostat data, Slovakia registered the lowest level of migrant interest.

Internal movement within the EU also remained significant. About 1.5 million people relocated from one member state to another, while a similar number left the Union altogether. Germany and Spain were again the most attractive destinations. At the same time, these two countries also recorded the highest numbers of citizens leaving the EU. In Bulgaria, approximately 13,000 residents are EU citizens who moved from other member states.

The population structure in Bulgaria remains largely unchanged. Bulgarian citizens make up 98 percent of the population, while nationals of third countries account for about 1.5 percent and citizens of other EU states represent around half a percent. Across the EU, Poland has the highest share of its own nationals. In Malta, every fifth resident is a citizen of a non EU country, while Luxembourg has the largest proportion of people from other member states, exceeding one third of its population.

In terms of residence permits issued last year, Ukrainians topped the list, with around 300,000 approvals across the EU. They were followed by nearly 200,000 Indians and a similar number of Moroccan nationals. Employment remains the main reason for residence permits in the EU, accounting for roughly one third of cases. In Bulgaria, the share is notably higher, with almost half of all permits issued for work. A total of 628 people in Bulgaria received a Blue Card for highly qualified employment.

Family reunification ranks second as a reason for residence permits, with Bulgaria broadly matching the EU average. Education comes next, representing about 12 percent of permits issued in Bulgaria.

When it comes to asylum decisions, nearly half of all first instance applications in the EU were rejected. In Bulgaria, the rejection rate stood at 38 percent. In most approved cases, Bulgaria granted subsidiary protection, which applies when return to the country of origin is unsafe but refugee status criteria are not met. Such decisions accounted for less than one percent of cases. Across the EU, refugee status and subsidiary protection were granted in roughly equal measure, while humanitarian protection applied to about nine percent of migrants. More than half of all positive asylum decisions at first instance involved citizens of Syria, Afghanistan and Venezuela.

The arrival of 2,600 unaccompanied minors places Bulgaria among the EU countries with the highest numbers of children entering without parents, highlighting a disproportionate burden relative to overall migrant inflows.

At the EU’s external borders, entry was denied to 124,000 people, with five percent of those refusals taking place in Bulgaria. Most attempted entries occurred by land, accounting for 57 percent, followed by air travel at 40 percent. Poland recorded the highest number of refusals, while Ukrainians were the most frequently returned nationals.

Within Bulgaria, authorities identified around 15,000 people staying illegally, and 935 individuals were returned to their countries of origin. Across the EU as a whole, Syrians made up the largest group of irregular residents. Germany and France carried out the highest number of returns among member states.