On March 7th, the Czech Republic received more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. The United Nations has reported that more than 2.6 million people have fled Ukraine after Russia’s invasion on February 14th. As central European countries prepare for the influx of refugees, the Czech Republic is already home to a large Ukrainian population. In fact, according to the Interior Ministry, the Czech Republic’s foreign community will contain nearly 197,000 legal Ukrainian residents by the end of 2022. Nevertheless, with this number nearly doubling over the last week, Czech officials anticipate that more is needed to accommodate the next wave of refugees.
The country’s refugee assistance center in Prague had to temporarily close its center due to the overload of Ukrainian refugees. While these capacity constraints are concerning, the Czech ministry reported that they successfully administered Special Long-Term Visas to around 57,000 Ukrainian refugees, more than half of whom were children. The Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic created these long-term visas specifically for fleeing Ukrainian citizens. The refugees are now permitted to enter the Czech Republic without a visa, given that they provide a valid biometric passport.
The Czech Republic’s refugee accommodations are commendable in their leniency and efficiency. The Interior Ministry addressed the refugee influx promptly, declaring a state of emergency on Friday, March 4th in response to the first wave of Ukrainian migrants. At the time, only 30,000 Ukrainians sought refuge, and the state of emergency was imperative in facilitating the flow of migrants.
Since then, the number of Ukrainian refugees has skyrocketed, and the Czech Republic’s response remained efficient and accommodating. The European Commission reports that refugees with connections residing in the Czech Republic are granted a 90 day visa-free grace period. Ukrainian refugees arriving with no contacts or background in the country are immediately accommodated with a special long-term visa, given that they submit application materials to a Regional Assistance Center.
While the Czech Republic’s responses to the incoming Ukrainian refugees are commendable, the Ukrainian displacement crisis is far from over. United Nations officials predict that nearly 4 million people could flee Ukraine if circumstances deteriorate. A European humanitarian and political crisis could arise in such a mass movement. A steady increase in migrants could significantly strain education, security, housing, healthcare, and security to an extent unseen in Europe since World War II. Regardless of the migrations’ effect on global politics, countries’ focus should remain on the safety of the millions of displaced Ukrainians.