IntMin Bode: 10,624 Ukrainian citizens enter Romania in past 24hrs

Of the 10,624 Ukrainian citizens who entered Romania in the last 24 hours, 3,660 people have left our country, especially through the border crossings with Bulgaria and Hungary, Interior Minister Lucian Bode said on Friday, Agerpres reports.

He added that 6,964 people remained in Romania in the last 24 hours.

"Out of 10,624 people who entered Romania, 11 people have applied for asylum in Romania and are currently in our asylum centres. We have about 1,100 places available, the occupancy rate is currently 50%," Bode told a press conference at the Victoria Governmental Palace.

The Interior Minister pointed out that there is a very good collaboration with all the institutions in charge, so that Romania can offer the necessary legal and humanitarian support to the refugees, who are coming at the borders of the country and asking for Romania's help.

"Thus, the Border Police, the Inspectorate General for Immigration, the structures of the Department for Emergency Situations, the Prefect Institution are fully mobilised to manage the situation according to the developments on the field. We are ready to manage a large flow of transit at the border. The necessary measures have been taken to strengthen the control and surveillance of the Romanian border. The border crossing points are fully mobilised and we are ready to supplement the staff if necessary," Bode also said.

He explained that in the last 24 hours, 111,817 people crossed all border crossing points (58,268 on the way in), as against February 23, when the number stood at 93,060.

"At the border with Ukraine, the total number of people who crossed the six border crossing points was 12,220. Of these, 10,624 on the way into the country, compared to 4,041 recorded before the outbreak of the conflict," the Interior Minister added.