At noon on Thursday, a train arrived at Central Station and deployed RegioJet and arrived with seventy refugees. Among them were people from the Czech village of Bohemka in the Mykolaiv region in southern Ukraine. A Czech Caritas employee from Ukraine, who came to the Czech Republic in 2015, was waiting for them on the platform. “There are two families, one with three children, the other – a mother and two children. Dad wasn’t released, neither was the older son“The Charity employee said. “They got a permanent residence and are going to Červená nad Vltavou, they have furnished accommodation there,” she added. According to her, he gained permanent residence due to the fact that they have Czech roots.

Some want to stay, some to come back

Family members from Mykolaiv said they were on the road for three days. “The first day we ran on foot towards Bohemka“One of the women said. Then they rented a car to take them to Lviv. In the meantime, their niece, who accompanied them along the way, left the Czech Republic for them. They took with them only smaller backpacks and water bags, documents and things for children. . They would like to stay in the Czech Republic, they already have relatives there.

Nasťa from Uzhhorod arrived with the same connection, arriving with her sister, father and four small children. They were on the road for five days. She told reporters that she had no relatives in the Czech Republic and that they would like to return to Ukraine after the end of the war. They will probably live in a hostel in Prague, she added.

People who flee Ukraine but also come to the Czech Republic by regular lines. This was the case of Halyna, who comes from Lviv but worked in Hungary. So she arrived in Prague by train from Budapest. She revealed the situation in western Ukraine is not yet as serious as in other parts of the country. “But we don’t know what’s next,” she said. He has a son in Ukraine who is also heading to the Czech Republic. “I’m glad to be here, even if my son is here, I’ll be happy,” she said. He has a mother in the Czech Republic, so he has a place to live. But when the war is over, she would like to return to Ukraine.

Domestic volunteers at the main railway station are coordinated by the Organization for Aid to Refugees (OPU), other organizations, the Prague City Hall and the Hlavák initiative are also involved. “All our volunteers are located all over Central Station. It starts with picking up arrivals from trains on the platforms and directing them to the main hall, where we have a stand with additional information and assistance, “said OPU representative Robert Netuka. They provide people from Ukraine at the stand basic information about visas, health insurance, are able to provide them with accommodation. Refugees will also receive a free SIM card and the opportunity to take ID photos. From the station, volunteers send them to the assistance center, which is currently in the library on Mariánské náměstí.

24/7 help

Volunteers have been working at Central Station since the weekend, and Netuka estimates that thousands of refugees have arrived during that time. He has been operating non-stop since Wednesday. “Unfortunately, the refugee does not have its own hours, so we cover the officials overnight,” Netuka added.

The Ukrainian Ivan, who has lived in the Czech Republic for 25 years, complained that non-stop assistance did not work in the first days. He arrived at the station on Tuesday and has been standing with his friends in the main hall with Ukrainian signs since then, trying to help his compatriots. “People need information on where to buy a ticket, to show the platform number… There was no foot on Tuesday. Only today has she set up a rest room on the second floor, “he said critically.