Prague, Sept 4 (CTK) – Children make up roughly one-fifth of all seekers of asylum and temporary protection in the Czech Republic, the statistics of the Interior Ministry, released Friday, has said.
In the first seven months of the year, applications were submitted on behalf of 143 children, five of whom came here without any adults.
Roughly one-half of underage asylum seekers are from Ukraine, 16 from Syria and five from Afghanistan.
In 2014, there were 229 child asylum seekers, six of whom came to the Czech Republic alone. A total of 32 children were from Syria, almost 100 from Ukraine.
In the past decade, the biggest number of child asylum seekers were recorded in 2008. The number reached 305, while 34 of them came to the Czech Republic without any adults.
In all, 1656 persons asked for asylum in 2008. Most children, 72, were from Turkey, while 37 came from Ukraine, 14 from Syria, 15 from Afghanistan and four from Iraq.
In 2012, asylum requests were submitted on behalf of 299 children, 12 of whom were without any adults. A total of 88 of children were from Kazakhstan, 34 from Ukraine, 21 from Russia, 21 from Turkey, 18 from Mongolia and 16 from Syria.
In June 2004, a special center was established for foreign children in Prague. It provides shelter to those who asked for asylum, were detained by the police in the Czech Republic, came here without any accompanying persons or their relatives cannot get to the Czech Republic.
The center, administered by the Education Ministry, mainly wants to integrate the foreigners.
A court eventually decides on where the children should be placed.
“Most of the child refugees suffered a deep trauma. A sensitive approach is needed,” the center has said on its web page.
