Jetetice, South Moravia, Feb 16 (CTK) – The Czech Republic will accept roughly 250 ethnic Czechs from eastern Ukraine this year, too, Hana Mala, from the Interior Ministry communications department, told CTK on Tuesday.
Last year, the Czech Republic repatriated 257 ethnic Czechs from Ukraine, Mala said.
They are the descendants of the Czechs who moved to Ukraine some time ago, mostly under the imperial era in Russia.
Now they are leaving Ukraine over the war conflict in its eastern part that started roughly two years ago.
“As the programme (of repatriation) is under way continually, there are about 200 ethnic Czechs in the accommodation facility in Cervena nad Vltavou, south Bohemia,” Mala said.
The Interior Ministry provides the repatriated Czechs from Ukraine with a six-month stay in Cervena nad Vltavou.
During the time, they are supposed to be integrated into society, to learn the language and to find a job and subsequently their own housing.
Mala said the programme was not limited in time at all.
“The ethnic Czechs’ arrival continues depending on when they receive the permanent residence permits,” she said.
The Interior Ministry also provides the arrivals from Ukraine with financial help of up to 50,000 crowns per adult and 20,000 crowns per child.
The repatriation programme was launched in reaction to the requests for repatriation raised by several hundred ethnic Czechs in Ukraine and sent to President Milos Zeman.
Last January, the government sponsored it with 66 million crowns.
The programme covers ethnic Czechs from across the world facing an emergency situation like that in Ukraine now.
The programme has been successful and Ukrainian Czechs have been able to integrate into society, Mala said.
“In this respect, they are among the most motivated foreigners. A number of them have settled down in the Plzen, Central Bohemia and South Moravia regions and in Prague,” Mala said.
“They have mainly found blue-collar jobs,” she added.
Most of them have spent a shorter time than the six months in the facility in Cervena nad Vltavou, Mala said.
