Fiala: Czechia prepared to protect EU borders but rejects redistribution of refugees

Czechia is prepared to help protect the EU's external borders, but rejects the mandatory redistribution of refugees between EU countries, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said after a half-hour meeting with the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, during her visit to Prague on Tuesday. He dubbed mandatory redistribution "inhumane and dysfunctional", adding that reducing the number of economic refugees by protecting the borders is a better solution than trying to deal with the subsequent problems that arise from mass migration.

The prime minister also spoke with the head of the EU Commission about financial support for countries that have accepted a large number of Ukrainian refugees, with Von der Leyen proposing to increase the amount of support by 15 billion euros. The president of the European Commission praised Czech aid to Ukraine and its support of Ukrainian refugees.

The pair also discussed energy, the EU's recovery plan, and Czechs taking up top EU positions during their meeting.