site.btaBulgaria Accepted 113 People Seeking Asylum from Austria in 2023

In 2023, Bulgaria has accepted from Austria a total of 113 people seeking international protection (asylum), according to the Dublin Regulation, said the press service of the Council of Ministers.

In connection with received media inquiries about the application of the Dublin Regulation and readmission of persons registered as seeking asylum in Bulgaria and for whom Bulgaria is responsible, the Council of Ministers also provided more detailed data.

The requested incoming transfers from Austria to Bulgaria for 2023 were 193, of which 113 were actually carried out.

A total of 55 of the transfers from Austria to Bulgaria for 2023 were transferred through 11 organized charter flights between the two countries.

The Council of Ministers also indicated the distribution of persons transferred in 2023 by nationality: 24 from Afghanistan, one stateless person, one from Iran, 17 from Morocco, 69 from Syria and one from Turkiye.

The Bulgarian government stressed on Saturday that contrary to the disinformation spread in recent days, Bulgaria does not accept additional conditions related to refugees from Syria and Afghanistan. Bulgaria does undertake to work together with Austria and Romania to limit secondary movements in compliance with European legislation.

From the end of March 2024, air and maritime internal border controls between Bulgaria and Romania and countries of the Schengen area will be removed. The decision was voted unanimously by the Council of the European Union late in the evening on December 30. 

Earlier that day, Austria lifted its veto on the admission of Bulgaria and Romania, and a week before that, the Dutch Parliament lifted its long-standing veto against Bulgaria.

The tripartite declaration commits to discussing a date for the abolition of land border controls in 2024.