In Czechia, number of visas issued to Ukrainian refugees down by 20% in week

The number of temporary protection visas issued in the Czech Republic to refugees from Ukraine decreased by approximately 20%, to 2,650, over the past week.

This was reported by Radio Prague International, according to Ukrinform.

As noted, the status of temporary protection allows refugees to get a job, access to state health insurance, and education, receive emergency financial assistance and social aid.

In total, according to the Czech Ministry of Internal Affairs, 458,405 visas have been issued since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Refugees shall register with the Aliens Police within three days of their arrival in the Czech Republic. Since the beginning of the war, a total of 583,510 Ukrainians have undergone the procedure. It is clarified that last week the number of registered persons decreased by about 25% compared to the previous seven days, amounting to about 11,000.

"Minister of the Interior Vit Rakusan said early November that about 20% of Ukrainian refugees had already returned from the Czech Republic to their homeland. However, before the onset of winter, some Ukrainians may return to EU countries, where they have been issued temporary visas," the report notes.

As reported, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Czech Republic said that the country would be able to accept half a million more Ukrainian refugees. However, anything exceeding this amount would mean additional issues, in particular, the need to construct more temporary housing.