The admission process is underway for the Afghan nationals evacuated to the Czech Republic in recent weeks. Many of them have worked for the Czech Republic in their home country, and have expressed an interest in making a new life here. Photo Credit: Vlada.cz.
Czech Rep., Aug 31 (BD) – According to reports from Czech news server Seznam Zpravy, the Interior Ministry has provided details about the number of Afghan nationals evacuated to the Czech Republic on emergency flights in recent weeks. In total, 169 Afghans arrived as part of the airlift. 152 of them have applied for international protection, and the others already have some form of residence status in the country.
The evacuees have now finished their period of quarantine, and are being transferred from the care of the Ministry of Defence to the Interior Ministry. “The admission procedure is currently underway for evacuees who have applied for international protection,” Interior Ministry spokesman Adam Rözler told Seznam Zpravy. “This includes the processing of the applications, medical examinations, and the collection of fingerprints. The admission procedure usually takes several days to weeks, and the applicants will remain in closed state facilities for that time.”
Interviews have also begun with the evacuees about their future plans. The Ministry confirmed that some of them expressed a wish to start a new life in the Czech Republic. This was confirmed by Interior Minister Jan Hamacek: “They are being interviewed about their future. We have a more or less clear idea of how they see the future, in terms of their status. It is no surprise that most would imagine the future in the Czech Republic, because they cooperated with the Czech Republic in some form.”
For those who decide to stay in the Czech Republic, the Interior Ministry will soon start processing their asylum applications. It is thought that the process should be relatively quick and straightforward, as none of the circumstances of the cases are in doubt. This will be followed by the process of integration in terms of housing and employment, which will be at least partly organised by non-profit organisations, and lasts around one year.
