Number of Ukrainian refugees in Bulgaria passes 100 000-mark
Since Russia’s current invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, a total of 229 115 Ukrainians have entered Bulgaria and 100 686 remain in the country, according to figures on the Bulgarian government’s information portal on May 2.
The current figure for those who have registered for temporary protection is 87 534.
Temporary protection status provides them with access to health care, education, and the right to work.
The update said that 51 291 Ukrainians had been accommodated.
At the weekend, Bulgaria’s Tourism Minister Hristo Prodanov said that there were about 30 000 Ukrainian refugees in hotels in the country’s seaside resorts.
After May 31, most of them would be transferred to state-owned properties, he told Bulgarian National Radio.
“None of them will stay on the streets. We will speak to hoteliers to accommodate them if there are not enough places in the state properties,” Prodanov said.
The UN refugee agency said that as of May 1, more than 5.5 million Ukrainians had fled the war in Ukraine. The largest number, more than three million, went to Poland.
The International Organization for Migration said that as of April 17, there were 7.7 million internally displaced persons in Ukraine.
Before Russia’s current war on Ukraine began, Ukraine had a population of about 44.1 million people.
(Illustration: UNHCR)
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