Tents for refugees from the main railway station set up in Troy. Prague is asking the government for a solution
A temporary shelter with facilities for Ukrainian refugees will be created in Prague’s Troja, with a capacity of 150. Firefighters have already been instructed to build a tent town by Interior Minister Vít Rakušan (STAN), a municipal spokesman said. The tent town will be established due to insufficient capacity of seats in Prague. In addition to tents, the establishment of a shelter for refugees in the Karlín barracks is also at stake.
“Firefighters today were instructed by Minister Vít Rakušan to build a tent town in Troja. But we already know that this solution will not be enough. Only 150 people are solving the problem. This must be solved by the government, ie Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS). Asylum and Migration From the very beginning, we consider the construction of a tent city to be the most extreme situation and we try to solve this situation by other more suitable means, “said Vít Hofman, a spokesman for the municipality.
Prague no longer has free capacity to accommodate refugees. Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates) on Wednesday morning wrotethat the creation of a tent town was to be the last resort and warned the government against it. Hřib also sent a letter to Prime Minister Petr Fial, in which he called on the government to create a system for dividing refugees into regions, otherwise Prague is in danger of collapsing and will have to close its refugee center in Vysočany due to congestion.
“This is not in the competence of the regions, but for the solution of the government. We repeatedly call the state for help because we have full capacity and the Administration of Refugee Facilities gives us only dozens of beds a day,” spokesman Hofman added.
The capital is now dealing mainly with problems with Roma refugees residing at the main station. According to civic initiatives, hundreds of people live in undignified conditions there. There are 70 beds in the hall of the Fanta building, which was provided by the Railway Administration, and up to 210 other people can sleep in the attached seat train. However, all capacities are often full. The municipality therefore asked the state Administration of Refugee Facilities for help.
“The situation at Prague’s main railway station is being resolved. We will not let people sleep in the corridors. Therefore, a temporary shelter with all facilities will be created. Non-profit organizations will also be involved. We are still negotiating with Hungary to speed up screening of Czech visitors.”
Refugees at the main railway station in Prague, May 9, 2022. | Photo: Libor Fojtík
It is being checked for Hungarians
“We can’t afford to let the children sleep somewhere on the floor on the platform. It’s dangerous, unethical, inhumane. At that moment, it doesn’t matter if those people are entitled to temporary protection in the Czech Republic or not,” the Austrian added to the Chamber of Deputies in the afternoon.
Temporary accommodation will be provided by the Administration of Refugee Facilities with the capital. The Roma non-profit organization Romodrom will take part in this, and others will offer help. “We as a state will guarantee food, social and hygienic facilities, ie enough toilets, portable bathrooms and the like,” said the Deputy Prime Minister. According to him, a sufficient amount of free capacity cannot be provided at the regional level.
“It is not the case that refugee camps are starting to appear in the Czech Republic, this is not permanent accommodation. These are people who come to Prague and who are being checked for dual citizenship,” said the Austrian. because of the Roman refugees from Ukraine, they have dual citizenship and, as Hungarian citizens, are not entitled to help in the Czech Republic. “Still, we can’t let the ground sleep at the station,” he added.
Video: Ukrainian Roma just want to survive the war. Hungary does not want to take care of them (May 10, 2022)
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