Austrian: Up to 10,000 refugees could be transferred from Prague to the regions
Updates: 06/19/2022 14:55
Released: 19.06.2022, 14:55
Prague – About 5,000 to 10,000 refugees from the Russian invasion of Ukraine could be transferred from Prague to other regions. However, the refugees must leave the capital voluntarily, the Ministry of the Interior Vít Rakušan (STAN) told Czech Television (ČT) today on the program Otázky Václava Moravec. They agreed with the mayor of Prague, Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates), on the need to motivate people to move.
The Austrian agrees with Hřib that the capital is enormously busy. However, I do not think that it would be possible to motivate 30,000 refugees to leave Prague for other regions, as Hřib imagined. The Minister pointed out that other metropolises are also facing congestion. “Some complete equality within the country will certainly never be achieved,” the Austrian said on Czech Television today.
Hřib, Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) Ra together with the situation with refugees in Prague on Friday. They agreed to create a set of measures that would motivate refugees to move to less busy communities. There will also be a coordination mechanism by which to move on its own.
The Prague management has long complained about congestion and lack of capacity. The Regional Assistance Center for Assistance to Ukraine (KACPU) in Vysočany, which has handled almost 100,000 refugees in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, has therefore closed the city this week. According to the Austrian, this step does not solve the situation. People who have privately arranged accommodation in the capital can go to the Department of Asylum and Migration Policy or to the Aliens Police and receive temporary protection as well.
The Minister added today that he could not comply with the favorable proposal that refugees in Prague receive a lower humanitarian benefit than the remnants of the Czech Republic received. “According to the legislators of the Ministry of the Interior, this is in conflict with both European and Czech legislation,” he said. According to him, the ministry is looking for other motivational mechanisms.
According to the Austrian, there are still about 280,000 to 300,000 Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic. The number is not growing, but stagnating, he added.