Ministry of Interior not yet recorded higher number of refugees from Ukraine due to winter

The Ministry of the Interior has not yet recorded a higher number of refugees arriving from Ukraine due to winter conditions there, with the number of applications for temporary protection being lower last week than in October, Interior Minister Vít Rakušan stated in Sunday’s edition of Václav Moravec’s Questions on Czech Television. Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leading Czech leaders to expect an increase in refugees escaping the difficult winter conditions. "Of course, we were expecting an increase in applications for temporary protection, perhaps in December and the second half of November. It turned out that from the 2,000 per week that we had in October, it dropped to about 1,700 per week," said Mr. Rakušan.

According to the minister, the ministry is still trying to support internal migration within Ukraine, helping people from the eastern part of the country to resettle in the west. According to current data from the Ministry of the Interior, there are now 386,782 people with temporary protection in Czechia. About 60% of refugees plan to stay in the country after the war ends.