More than 4,800 asylum requests were registered in Romania last year, rising over last year by 161% as a result of fraudulent border crossings, according to a report of the General Inspectorate for Immigrations (IGI).

Most asylum seekers were from countries such as Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, and most requests were submitted to the IGI centers in Timisoara and Bucharest.

The report also revealed that the immigration authorities carried out more than 7,500 actions and controls in 2017, during which they found 3,580 foreigners with illegal residence, the number being 36.27% higher compared to 2016.

For foreigners who were in illegal situations or who no longer met the conditions provided by the law for granting or extending the right of residence, the authorities issued 1,568 return decisions, which established the return obligation or the deadline for voluntary departure from the territory of Romania. Also, more than 1,000 people were banned from entering the country for different periods of time, 50% more than in the previous year.

At the same time, 502 foreign nationals were taken out of Romania under escort, 15.4% more than in the previous year. They were from countries such as Pakistan, Iraq, Turkey, Moldova and Kosovo.

In terms of residence, data showed that, at the end of December 2017, there were about 113,000 foreigners in the records of the Inspectorate for Immigration. Almost 50,000 of them were citizens of the European Union/EEA/CH, mainly from countries such as Italy, Germany, Greece and France. The main purposes for which foreigners have established their residence on the territory of Romania are related to the right to family unity (family reunification, family members of Romanian citizens, EU or EEA), education, employment or permanent establishment in the territory of Romania.

The report also showed that more than 16,100 visa applications were submitted to diplomatic missions of Romania abroad, 9% more than in 2016. Over 11,500 were approved, of which 7,348 long-stay visas for foreigners from Moldova, Turkey, Israel, China and other states, and 4,187 short-stay visas for foreigners from countries such as China, Jordan, Syria, Iraq and India.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrari on Facebook)