Bulgaria ranks fourth in the EU for number of unaccompanied refugee children, says SAR Chairman

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Bulgaria ranks fourth in the EU for number of unaccompanied refugee children, says SAR Chairman

In an interview with the news site FAKTI, Ivan Ivanov, Chairman of the State Agency for Refugees (SAR), presented a pilot project for alternative social services aimed at unaccompanied refugee children.

Discussing the situation of unaccompanied minors in Bulgaria, he stated that in 2014, there were 940 such children. Since 2021, this number has risen significantly, reaching 3,827 by the end of 2023. In 2020, more than 70% of all children who applied for protection were unaccompanied and separated from their families. As of 2025, Bulgaria ranks fourth among EU countries for the number of unaccompanied minors.

Source

  • State Agency for Refugees at the Council of Ministers | Държавната агенция за бежанците при Министерския съвет (29 July, 2025), Фокусът върху децата бежанци е сред приоритетните за ЕС, заяви председателят на Дъравната агенция за бежанците пред информационния сайт ФАКТИ [The focus on refugee children is among the priorities for the EU,” said the Chairman of the State Agency for Refugees in an interview with the news site FAKTI],
    https://aref.government.bg/en/node/937