175 first-time asylum applicants in Bulgaria in Q2 2020 – Eurostat
In the second quarter of 2020, there were 175 first-time asylum applicants in Bulgaria, EU statistics agency Eurostat said in a report that showed how the Covid-19 crisis had an impact on asylum applications in the bloc.
Of the 175 first-time asylum seekers in Bulgaria, the three largest groups were 65 from Syria, 35 from Afghanistan and 20 from Morocco.
During the second quarter of 2020, about 46 500 first-time asylum seekers applied for international protection in the member states of the EU.
This was down by 69 per cent compared with 150 100 recorded in the first quarter of 2020 and down by 68 per cent compared with the second quarter of 2019 (143 700 applications).
“This sharp drop in asylum applications in the second quarter of 2020 in particular results from the Covid-19 emergency measures applied by the member states starting from March 2020,” Eurostat said.
With 7700 first-time applicants between April and June 2020, Syrians remained the largest group of persons seeking international protection in the EU member states, followed by Afghans (4200 first-time applicants) and Venezuelans (3000). Citizens of these countries accounted for almost one-third (32 per cent) of all first-time asylum applicants in the second quarter of 2020, Eurostat said.
(Photo: Nikolay Doychinov/ EC Audiovisual Service)
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