Czech Republic launches pilot project for voluntary return of Ukrainians to homeland

Radio Prague International reported the information.

The Czech Ministry of the Interior has launched a pilot project of voluntary return, providing refugees with paid bus tickets and arranging ambulance transport for those who are sick.

The Czech Republic is ready to pay for tickets for up to 400 people, as well as organize ambulance transportation for a maximum of 30 patients.

The pilot project will run from June to November. Refugees will be able to take advantage of the paid voluntary return only once.

The concept of voluntary return was approved by the government in mid-May. The program has been allocated CZK 5.5 million. 

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in April, about 339,000 Ukrainian citizens who fled their homeland due to the full-scale Russian invasion lived in the Czech Republic.

Only 20,000 Ukrainian refugees out of a total of over 342,000 will be able to obtain a long-term residence permit instead of temporary protection.

• Back in August 2023, the Czech authorities were to prepare a special program for the voluntary return of refugees to Ukraine, which provided for assistance and reimbursement of part of the costs in such cases.