Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has said that Britons based in the country are "welcome" if they decide to apply for citizenship.

His comments follow Thursday's referendum in the UK in which a nearly 52-percent majority voted to leave the European Union.

"Many English people [sic!] are wondering how to go back to England now, so the problems will be for Great Britain, not for us. They will probably ask for [Bulgarian citizenship], we are open to this, they are welcome," Borisov has told reporters. Bulgarian politicians and media outlets often use England as a reference to the UK.

Around 7000 British nationals are known to reside in Bulgaria as of March 2016, according to UK Embassy data.

Many of these live outside the capital Sofia, some having chosen rural areas.