Prague, Dec 16 (CTK) – The number of asylum seekers reached 1,382 in the first eleven months of the year, which was 425 more applications than a year ago, according to the latest figures released by the Czech Interior Ministry asylum and migration policy department on Wednesday.
Ukrainians, Cubans and Syrians most frequently ask for asylum in the Czech Republic.
Ukrainians have been the first in the long run. This year alone, 636 of them asked for asylum. They are followed by Cubans and Syrians, with 124 and 122 applications, respectively.
This year, asylum was granted to 70 foreigners, while another 372 were given additional protection that is, unlike asylum, granted for a fixed time.
It is primarily gained by the people who failed to be given asylum, but are exposed to danger if they return home.
In 769 cases, Czech authorities turned down the applications or halted the procedure.
Another 620 applications were yet to be settled by the Interior Ministry at the end of November.
In 2014, 1,156 foreigners asked for international protection in the Czech Republic. From 2010 to 2013, the numbers were just under 1,000, while previously the figures sometimes surged over several thousands a year.
The extreme number was reached in 2001 with over 18,000 applications.
