Merely 61% of the capacity of Bulgarian refugee accommodation centers is currently used, stated Tatyana Kulinova, senior counsel to the State agency for the Refugees (DAB) on Friday.

As of 23 January 2015, 3 672 out of the available 6 000 spots in the centers have been occupied. Syrians, who number 2 751 people, are the largest group provided with accommodation.

The official information was presented by Kulinova at a work meeting on asylum seeking practices in Ruse, as reported by BGNES.

Earlier in January Deputy Prime Minsiter Ivaylo Kalfin announced that Bulgaria had no more capacity to accept more refugees.

Seven hundred people were caught last year in attempts to cross the Bulgarian border at the Danube. Since the beginning of 2015 twenty people have already been held by customs and police officers.

Over the years the immigrant influx in Bulgaria had been around 1 000 people annually. However, since the summer of 2013, the number has increased drastically to 7144.

The trend continued in 2014, when 11 081 people sought asylum in Bulgaria. One third of them had completed initial stage of primary education, around 25% had full primary education, and 8% - higher education.

Out of all 6 254 asylum requests received in 2014, one third were made by Syrian citizens and their families. A registered increase in Afghani applicants is also notable.

Chair of the State agency for Refugees Nikola Kazakov announced last Monday that two new accommodation centers will be built in southern Bulgaria.