Prague will support community activities or education in the integration of foreigners
It also intends to raise the awareness of the majority society about foreigners. This follows from the concept of integration of foreigners for the years 2022 to 2027, which was approved by Prague’s deputies last night. Last year, 223,308 foreigners lived in Prague. The city spends about four million crowns a year on their integration.
“The main credo is that Prague should be a city that unites, which respects its inhabitants, namely those who were born here, as well as those who chose it as their home,” said councilor Hana Třeštíková (Prague to Herself). According to her, the city was preparing the document in cooperation with the Integration Center and more than fifty other organizations.
The document is primarily focused on activities from the third countries, which are the most in the metropolis. “Integration includes citizens from EU countries and holders of asylum or other forms of international protection,” the document said.
The concept lists five areas on which the municipality wants to focus. These are the institutional background and infrastructure, multilateral cooperation, services for foreigners, education and coexistence. In the first area, cooperation between municipalities, town halls and organizations working with foreigners is to be improved.
The city also wants to support the wider availability of services and activities for foreigners, ie to remove barriers to integration not only for service providers, but also for municipal and city hall events. Cultural, educational or leisure events will be supported. The municipality plans to focus on the education of children, adolescents and adult foreigners, both in language and socio-cultural skills.
In the first year, 23,308 foreigners lived in Prague, which is possible by almost 1,000 more. The majority are permanent residents, of whom there are 115,073. The most numerous people are Ukrainians, who make up 26 percent of foreigners. The second most numerous group are Slovaks with 15 percent.