Statistics

Bulgaria

Country Report: Statistics Last updated: 27/03/25

Author

Bulgarian Helsinki Committee Visit Website

Overview of statistical practice

The State Agency for Refugees (SAR) publishes monthly statistical reports on asylum applicants and main nationalities, as well as overall first instance decisions.[1] Further information is shared with non-governmental organisations in the context of the National Coordination Mechanism. The Ministry of Interior also publishes monthly reports on the migration situation, which include figures on apprehension, capacity, and occupancy of reception centres.[2]

 

Applications and granting of protection status at first instance: 2024            

  Applicants in 2024 (1) Pending at

end of 2024

Total decisions in 2024 (2) Total substantive decisions (3) Refugee status Subsidiary protection Humanitarian protection (4) Rejection (5)
Total 12,250 6,051 15,390 8,091 56 4,894 N/A 3,141
Breakdown by countries of origin of the total numbers
Syria 7,646 4,036 10,254 5,887 24 4,738 N/A 1,125
Afghanistan 1,980 1,295 2,296 327 1 32 N/A 294
Morocco 871 71 935 815 1 3 N/A 811
Egypt 654 185 582 143 0 2 N/A 141
Iraq 541 92 607 402 1 18 N/A 383
Stateless 99 50 124 86 5 65 N/A 16
Pakistan 91 23 110 67 0 0 N/A 67
Algeria 84 10 92 84 0 0 N/A 84
Iran 43 26 57 23 2 13 N/A 8
Russia 42 97 79 76 18 2 N/A 56

Source: State Agency for Refugees.

(1) “Applicants in year” refers to the total number of applicants, not only to first-time applicants.

(2) Statistics on decisions cover the decisions taken throughout the year, regardless of whether they concern applications lodged that year or in previous years.

(3) The total 15,390 decisions issued include 8,091 substantive decisions (status granting, status refusals, inadmissibility and manifestly unfounded decisions) and 7,299 decisions terminating asylum procedures due to absconding.

(4) The national law does not provide for any other form of additional protection except the humanitarian statuses, which is based on article 15 QD, i.e. it is a term used to transpose this article of the Qualification Directive into national law.

(5) “Rejection” only covers negative decisions on the merit of the application, regardless of whether issued in accelerated or regular procedure.

 

Applications and granting of protection status at first instance: 2024

  Substantive rejection rate Substantive protection rate Refugee rate Subsidiary

protection rate

Total 39% 61% 0.7% 61.3%
Breakdown by countries of origin of the total numbers
Syria 19% 81% 0.5% 80%
Afghanistan 90% 10% 0.3% 9.7%
Morocco 99.5% 0.5% 0.1% 0.4%
Egypt 98.6% 1.4% 0% 1.4%
Iraq 95.3% 4.7% 0.2% 4.5%
Stateless 19% 81% 6% 75%
Pakistan 100% 0% 0% 0%
Algeria 100% 0% 0% 0%
Iran 35% 65% 9% 56%
Russia 73% 27% 24% 3%

Source: State Agency for Refugees. Calculations made by the author based on official data on asylum decisions.

Note: These rates are calculated based on substantive decisions only (including inadmissibility), excluding terminations of procedure due to absconding.

 

Gender/age breakdown of the total number of applicants: 2024

  Adults Children
Accompanied Unaccompanied
Number 8,229 1,420 2,601
Percentage 67% 12% 21%

 

  Men Women
Number 10,652 1,598
Percentage 87% 13%

Source: State Agency for Refugees.

 

First instance and appeal decision rates: 2024

It should be noted that, during the same year, the first instance and appeal authorities handle different caseloads. Thus, the decisions below do not concern the same applicants.

  First instance Appeal
  Number Percentage Number Percentage
Total number of decisions 8,292 100% 1018 12%
Positive decisions 4,951 60% 0 0%
  • Refugee status
57 1% 0 0%
  • Subsidiary protection
4,894 99% 0 0%
Negative decisions 3,341 40% 1018 30%

Source: State Agency for Refugees.

 

Court revocation rates: 2024 

  First court instance (regional adm. court) Final instance (Supreme adm. court)
  Number Percentage Number Percentage
Total court decisions 737 100% 136 100%
Revoked negative 132 18%    35* 26%
Sustained refusals 605 82% 101 74%

Source:  State Agency for Refugees.

* The Supreme administrative court issued 8 decisions, which revoked the ones of the lower courts due to procedural violations and reverted cases back to them for a retrial.

 

 

 

[1] SAR, Statistics and reports, available at: https://bit.ly/2ur0Y1a.

[2] Ministry of Interior, Migration statistics, available at: https://bit.ly/48C57wC.

Table of contents

  • Statistics
  • Overview of the legal framework
  • Overview of the of the main changes since the previous report update
  • Asylum Procedure
  • Reception Conditions
  • Detention of Asylum Seekers
  • Content of International Protection
  • ANNEX – Transposition of the CEAS in national legislation