Brno, April 13 (CTK) – The Generation 21 Endowment has suspended the moving of 16 Iraqi Christians from a hostel in the centre of Brno to municipal flats since they are not sure whether they should stay in the Czech Republic, Miroslav Makovicka, from Generation 21, told CTK yesterday.
Some of the Iraqi refugees returned to Iraq last week as they felt homesick. The remaining group must move from the hostel by Thursday. The endowment will find accommodation in a hotel for them for a short time.
The iDnes.cz server reported yesterday that the refugees might return home from Brno.
Generation 21, which has organised the resettlement of Iraqi Christian refugees to the Czech Republic with the government’s approval, has gained two flats from the Brno Town Hall and another one from the private sector.
“We planned to furnish and equip the flats, but we had to suspend the work since we do not know what will happen,” Makovicka said.
This is why the Iraqis cannot move to the flats and must go to a hotel.
Iraqi refugees are hesitating whether they should stay in the Czech Republic and this is why their move was halted.
“They may have had different expectations, they could misunderstand something or someone promised them something,” Makovicka said.
The group must decide what to do in a fairly short time because Generation 21 cannot afford to pay the hotel for long, possibly for up to two weeks only, Makovicka said.
“The flats are prepared according to the previous agreements. However, the town of Brno is waiting for the final decision whether the Iraqis will stay in Brno or not,” Zuzana Tausova, from the Brno Town Hall, said.
A total of 24 Iraqi Christians arrived in Brno on February 19. Eight of them left for Iraq last week since the grandparents felt homesick.
“They are in a refugee camp now, but in a safe area,” Makovicka said.
The endowment has brought 89 refugees to the Czech Republic. According to the original plan, over 150 were to arrive in the country.
However, the government terminated the project of resettling refugees from Iraq to the Czech Republic since a group of more than 20 of them rejected Czech asylum and left the accommodation facility in Okrouhlik near Jihlava, south Moravia, for Germany.
