Asylum applications double in Romania in 2017

Over 4,600 people have applied for international protection in Romania since the start of the year, the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) announced Monday in a release.

Most of the applicants are from Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, said the IGI release, adding that the last group of people.

Since the beginning of this year, the number of refugees who entered Romania across the Black Sea has increased noticeably, with frequent news reporting about refugee boats intercepted by the Romanian Coast Guard.

There were 1,886 asylum applications in 2016, up 49 percent from 2015, according to earlier data provided by immigration authorities.