site.btaAround 10,000 Refugees Have Sought Asylum in Bulgaria Since Year's Start

Around 10,000 Refugees Have Sought Asylum in Bulgaria Since Year's Start

Sofia, August 13 (BTA) - A total of 9,780 foreigners have sought
 asylum at refugee accommodation centres since the beginning of
2015, the State Refugee Agency's Deputy Chair, Vassil Vurbanov,
told Bulgarian National Radio on Thursday. "If 1,070 have sought
 asylum in January, their number in July stands at 1,869, which
is a peak in the Agency's history," he said, explaining that
this is indicative that the number of asylum seekers increase
each month.

Vurbanov noted that the living conditions at refugee centres
have improved significantly following the measures taken last
year. He also said that the migration flow through Bulgaria is
not serious, but is constantly growing.

Spassimir Petrov, head of the transit refugee centre near the
southern village of Pustrogor, noted that the centre's capacity
is 80 per cent full. "We could take up to 300-320 persons, but
in extreme situations we could take even more. If the number of
refugees increases, there will be a need for additional staff,"
Petrov said.

A new refugee wave is expected in Europe. There are over three
million refugees at the Turkish-Syrian border. According to
UNHCR data, a total of 224,000 refugees have crossed the
Mediterranean since this January. Serbia said it expects a
refugee influx, while Greece's Prime Minister described the
situation in his country as being out of control.