site.btaUnaccompanied Minors Migrating to Bulgaria Increase Considerably in 2016

Unaccompanied Minors Migrating to Bulgaria Increase Considerably in 2016

Brussels, May 11 (BTA correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) - Asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors in Bulgaria increased to 2,750 in 2016 from 1,815 in 2015, according to a report by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat), published on Thursday.

Some 95 per cent of the number in 2016 were boys. Seventeen per cent of the total were aged under 14 years. They most often came from Afghanistan (2,040 minors); there were also 370 from Iraq and 185 from Pakistan.

EU-wide, there were 63,300 asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors in 2016. The largest group (38 per cent) were from Afghanistan, and the second-largest group (19 per cent) came from Syria. The total number increased sharply after 2013, peaking in 2015. Unlike Bulgaria, the whole EU registered a drop in 2016.

In 2016, the highest number of asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors was registered in Germany. Bulgaria is in fifth place on that list, even ahead of Greece, which is sixth. In contrast, the largest decreases were recorded in Sweden (down by 94 per cent) and Hungary (down by 86 per cent).

Under EU law, immigrating unaccompanied minors have the right to stay in the country where they have arrived and to apply for asylum, irrespective of whether they entered the country legally or illegally. They are entitled to additional protection, and if they receive such protection, they may invite their families to the recipient country.