Illustration photo – Refugees from Ukraine wait in front of the regional assistance center to help Ukraine, June 14, 2022, Prague.
Prague – The Czech Republic managed the influx of refugees last year and was able to provide safety for more than 400,000 people. Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková said this today at a meeting of representatives of ministries and international and domestic organizations. According to her, the first crisis phase of accepting new arrivals is over and the Czech Republic must now focus on integration. According to Julije Olijnyková, head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) office for supporting solutions to the refugee situation in the Czech Republic, the Czech authorities and residents have shown strong solidarity and can be an example for the world.
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Photo gallery: Russian invasion of Ukraine
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“On Friday, it will be exactly one year since Russia invaded Ukraine and the war began, which significantly affected the lives of many millions of people around the world. Last year, as the Czech Republic, we managed more or less successfully. We were able to offer refuge to more than 400,000 refugees… Phase a certain crisis and the first challenging year are more or less behind us. We are getting to a stage where we will need to manage adaptation and integration more, as well as help those who want to return home,” said the representative. She thanked the institutions and organizations for trying to help and ensure a safe and dignified life for the new arrivals.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24 last year. Since then, the Ministry of the Interior has granted visas for temporary protection to 490,700 refugees. Most of them are women and children.
According to Olijnyková, eight million people fled to Europe from wartime Ukraine. The head of the UNICEF office for solving the refugee situation in the Czech Republic thanked for the reception of almost half a million arrivals in the Czech Republic. “The majority are women and children who have experienced loss, trauma and displacement in the last year. At the same time, over the last year, you can see a huge solidarity. People have opened their homes, schools and their hearts. It is the best example of humanity. It is an example for the world, what in solidarity, we can do it together,” said Olijnyková. She added that at the beginning of the second year of the war, it is more difficult to obtain resources for aid than at the beginning, but the need for aid remains.
Olijnyková mentioned support in education or integration into the labor market. She pointed out that the refugees themselves want to participate in the solution. They work as assistants in schools or as social workers, the UNICEF representative mentioned. “We must continue to support Ukrainian children and families. We have an opportunity to prepare them for the reconstruction of Ukraine,” she added. According to the commissioner, there is a need to help people in the eventual return to their homeland if they want to go there.
