Czech authorities prepare for return of Ukrainian expatriates

After nearly a year of negotiations, the first ethnic Czechs from Ukraine are set to move to the Czech Republic. Some 200 Czech expatriates have so far expressed interest in being repatriated to the old country due to the present situation in Ukraine. A special Czech consulate, which was temporarily opened in Odessa, on Monday started to issue passports and visas to the first applicants.

Volhynian Czechs, photo: ČT

Czech officials from the interior and foreign ministries as well as members of the foreign police travelled to Odessa at the start of the week to inform the ethnic Czechs about the possibility of their returning home and to handle the applications for repatriation that have already been lodged. A special consular office opened up in Odessa last Monday and will be in operation until February 13.

Petr Zenker of the Interior Ministry’s Asylum and Migration department:

“Part of the verification procedure is checking the applicants’ origin based on their birth certificates. So far we haven’t found any discrepancies concerning the applicants’ origin.”

There are an estimated 10,000 people with Czech roots living in Ukraine at the moment, mainly in the north-western Volhynia region. In view of the current situation in the country, the number of applications for repatriation is likely to increase. Karel Kühnl is the Czech Foreign Ministry’s special commissioner for Czechs living abroad:

“We have received around 160 applications for repatriation so far. Some 132 people have already been granted permission to move to the Czech Republic. These expatriates can pick up their passports in the coming days.”

Among the first ethnic Czechs to pick up his visa at the Odessa office on Monday was Karel Vinter, a retired military flight instructor:

Volhynia, photo: ČT24

“I am glad that I can move to the Czech Republic,” he told Czech Television. He and his wife will be heading straight to their relatives, who live in north Bohemia, and are ready to settle there permanently.

The Czech government in January earmarked some 60 million crowns to assist the repatriated Czechs. The first batch is expected to arrive in mid-March. They will be granted free accommodation for up to six months and will receive financial support of up to 50,000 crowns. The Interior Ministry will also assist them with moving to their old country and offer them language and requalification courses.