Over 8,000 foreigners settled in Estonia last year

In 2015, more than 8,000 foreigners settled in Estonia, less than 1 percent of whom were recipients of international protection, Minister of the Interior Hanno Pevkur said on Monday.
"The overwhelming majority of them are foreigners arriving in Estonia to work, study or join their families from EU states, who numbered 3,176 last year, as well as from third countries, who numbered 4,928 last year," Pevkur said during a question hour in the Riigikogu.
"More narrowly speaking, of the 8,000 or so people who came to Estonia last year either from the EU or from outside the EU, only 1 percent, or 78 persons, were recipients of international protection," he added.
According to BNS, the exact total number of foreigners settled in Estonia in 2015 was 8,104.
Last year, 226 persons applied for international protection in Estonia, spokespeople for the Ministry of the Interior told BNS on Monday. The most frequent citizenships of people granted international protection were Ukrainian and Sudanese.
Since March this year, 68 refugees have arrived in this country under the EU's migrant distribution plan. All told, Estonia has granted protection to 144 individuals this year.
Editor: Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS