Capacity is getting thinner. Prague houses refugees where possible
Young Karina, who escaped from Kharkov in eastern Ukraine, has a difficult journey behind her. According to her, the most difficult thing was to get out of the city, because it was under constant shelling.
“I had to pay a monthly salary for the transfer from the city, I got to another city, from where I traveled by train to the border. It took me three days to get here, “she described.
She completed the trip alone, having to leave her family at home, including her mother, who is seriously ill. “I’m in touch with them, but sometimes the mobile connection fails, so I don’t know if they’re okay at the moment. I have no idea if their house was hit by a bomb, for example, “she described with tears in her eyes.
She is grateful for the help she found here. “They approach me here as if I were a friend or a guest, not a refugee. When I was crying madly at the border in Slovakia, a policeman helped me. He hugged me and said everything would be fine. I’m very grateful to him for that. I don’t know his name, but I will remember him for the rest of my life, “she added.
Interior Minister Vít Rakušan stated that currently the government expects that there are about 250,000 refugees in the Czech Republic and about 100,000 newcomers have been able to provide accommodation for themselves and for about 150,000 the state must provide. There should be 27,000 people in Prague.
According to the ministry, more than 41,000 Ukrainian refugees reported their stay in Prague in connection with the war in Ukraine, the most so far in Prague 4, 10 and 5. According to statistics from the Ministry of the Interior, 3,876 were reported in the fourth district on Wednesday, 3,554 in the tenth and the fifth 3370. Between two and three thousand refugees registered in Prague 8, 3, 6, 9 and 2.
Due to the influx of refugees arriving in Prague, the municipality had to call on individual city districts at the end of last week to provide 100 places for emergency accommodation in gyms.
In Prague 12, they finally found the first temporary accommodation in the building of the former town hall, which can accommodate a hundred people. They managed to prepare the basic facilities here during Friday and Saturday.
“We have six bathrooms and showers here, which are divided into women’s and men’s. At the moment, we are dealing with home facilities, such as washing or cooking. We have a dining area and a playroom for children, including a TV. We also have warehouses for food, drugstores and bedding, “said Councilor Jiří Brůžek.
Arrivals are accommodated in rooms where families can accommodate up to six people. The first group of 60 people arrived here from the refugee center in Vyšehrad early on Sunday morning. The majority are mothers with children. According to Brůžka, they still operate in hotel mode.
“There is already a demand that they could have shifts for cleaning, so people would start cleaning up here themselves and it would work like in a normal household,” he added. He wants to provide them with accommodation for a long time or more.
Along with his mother and brother, 15-year-old David found asylum in temporary accommodation at the town hall. “It was very scary, we went by train, because we have already seen cases where the Russian occupiers were shelled,” he told the News.
They took with them only a few basic things that could fit on their train. I want to stay in the Czech Republic until the war is over.
Room David shares with three other people. He sleeps on mattresses, the city district provides beds. “As long as there is a war, we will live here. I’ll look for some study here. Maybe I will also apply for martial arts, “he added.
50 refugees are also newly accommodated in the cultural house in Prague 8. Photo: Prague 8
Photo: Prague 8
According to Councilor Brůžek, a larger city district, such as Prague 12, has the capacity to accommodate about 1,000 people. “We only have about 300 seats in the office buildings alone, when it gets to the gym, there will be a few more people. We will wait and we are ready, ”describes Brůžek.
35-year-old Ala fled Kiev with her family. “In general, I plan to return as soon as possible. I know my country is the best, “he says with tears in his eyes. “Now I want to work and live here, but my home is there,” he adds.
People fleeing the war who enjoyed accommodation before the war also had Prague 9, Prague’s Petrovice, Běchovice and Prague 4. A few days ago, fifty refugees were accommodated in a cultural house in Prague 8.
“Everything was ready in six hours. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served on site during the day. We have also provided a Wi-Fi connection that can at least virtually connect them with loved ones. Some children have already joined the online lessons at their school in Ukraine on Monday, ”said Prague 8 spokesman Martin Šalek.