According to Klara Simackova Laurencikova, the government’s human rights commissioner and the national coordinator for the adaptation and integration of refugees in the Czech Republic, around 30,000 Ukrainian children are in the country unaccompanied by adults. These children and young people mostly leave Ukraine for the Czech Republic alone and are granted temporary protection visas on arrival, which gives them access to education and health care.

The Czech authorities and organisations should be focusing more on the support and integration of these vulnerable children and youth, experts recommend. Ensuring places at schools for these young people and broadening the availability of Czech language education and leisure-time activities are some of the measures that could help them.

Although a certain part of these children will gradually become adults, they have no bonds to the community, no broader family, and no natural support network in case of problems, according to Simackova Laurencikova. This group is especially vulnerable and needs constant support and assistance.

Social workers from the child protection section register unaccompanied minors directly on arrival, collecting data about their accommodation and providing aid based on their condition and age. Social workers received training last spring from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs to work with child refugees. Some NGOs are also focusing on helping them.

Some of these Ukrainian youths live in temporary homes, others are staying in families, but a number of them have ended up in children’s homes, Simackova Laurencikova said. She added that she would like to debate the issue with the Ministry of Education, which is responsible for these homes.

The movement of this group of young people around the country should be monitored intensively to learn whether they end up in vulnerable situations, she said, adding that she would like to consult young people coming from Ukraine on the possibility of providing such information. This group should be better informed about the possible risks, in order to not become victims of labor exploitation or sexual abuse, and should know how to defend themselves against unethical treatment, how to find jobs safely, and where to seek help for their independent lives, she noted.

In conclusion, the situation of unaccompanied Ukrainian children in the Czech Republic is a matter of concern, and the authorities and organisations should work together to provide better support and integration for them. Ensuring places at schools for these young people, broadening the availability of Czech language education and leisure-time activities, and monitoring their movement around the country are some of the measures that could help them. It is essential to provide them with the necessary information about the possible risks and how to protect themselves against unethical treatment, find jobs safely, and seek help for their independent lives.

Article by Prague Forum