Winter Tourism: 1.8 Million Visit Bulgaria
Bulgaria has witnessed a bustling winter tourism season, with a total of 1.8 million tourists gracing its picturesque landscapes from December 1 to March 25
Nearly 3000 people are to return to Bulgaria from Germany, authorities in Berlin have warned.
Most of those to be sent back here have been granted either humanitarian or refugee status, but some of them have managed to illegally cross Bulgaria's borders and reach Western Europe, State Agency for Refugees (DAB) chief Nikolay Chirpanliev told Bulgarian daily Sega.
Chirpanliev cited a letter from the German government received last week.
He described the notice as "an unpleasant surprise" coming to Bulgarian authorities, who have repeatedly argued other EU member states should accept more significant part of the asylum seekers' influx from Syria, Iraq and other conflict-torn states.
Thousands have arrived to Bulgaria over the past months from Middle Eastern, but also from African countries (some of them claiming they are Syrians displaced by the ongoing civil war) via Turkey.
DAB's head Chirpanliev called on EU countries to consider amendments to the Dublin regulation on asylum seekers, which in his view is being applied "in geographic rather than in economic terms".
Each country should take in a portion of immigrants corresponding to its gross domestic product (GDP), he suggested.
Under current rules, a refugee registered in Bulgaria who chooses to move to another EU country is to be sent back.
Sofia has long hoped that rules would be changed and has lately sped up procedures granting humanitarian status.
Another reason for procedures to be running at a faster pace is a nearly doubled number of asylum seekers coming to Bulgaria over the past two months.
With around 340 status applications received at the DAB during March and roughly the same number in April, May and June saw a twofold increase with approximately 645 newly-registered.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
Overnight, cloud cover will disperse and decrease to mostly clear skies across the western half of the country, while rain will persist in the eastern regions
A special hall will welcome gamers and enthusiasts for various activities and tournaments
In a recent interview with BTA, Associate Professor Angel Kunchev, the chief state health inspector, addressed the potential declaration of an epidemic of whooping cough and outlined the measures that would be taken in response
Over the next 24 hours, a cold front will move across the country, bringing mostly cloudy skies and widespread rain
As Bulgaria grapples with a surge in whooping cough cases, Public Health experts offer insights into the situation, assuring the public about the severity of symptoms and emphasizing the importance of vaccination
Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Dimitar Nedyalkov heralded a new era of connectivity as he unveiled the ambitious 5G SEAGUL project, which aims to blanket the Struma highway with high-speed internet coverage
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022