Czechia, a country with a population of 10.5 million, has been accommodating the most Ukrainian refugees with temporary protection status per population among European Union (EU) nations. According to Eurostat data, there were over 3.5 million Ukrainian refugees with temporary protection status on EU territory by the end of last year, and among them, half stayed in Germany and Poland. Czechia, which had an 11% share, was the third most popular destination for Ukrainian refugees in the EU.

The EU activated a mechanism that allowed refugees to get temporary protection shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022. This mechanism grants refugees access to public health insurance, education, and the labour market. Despite initially being set to end in March this year, the temporary protection scheme was extended until March 2024 due to continued fighting in Ukraine.

According to Eurostat, Germany and Poland granted temporary protection status to 968,000 and 961,000 Ukrainian refugees, respectively, by the end of last year, while Czechia granted 432,000. However, the most recent data from the Interior Ministry suggests that about 500,000 war refugees from Ukraine have secured temporary protection visas in Czechia, and around one-fifth of them had already returned home by the end of 2022.

The temporary protection extension will help obtain more precise data on the number of refugees who are staying in Czechia. As of 20 February, 230,000 Ukrainians had requested extended protection, according to a press release by the ministry.

Despite the influx of refugees, most Czechs favour helping refugees and aligning with the West regarding the conflict, as per a recent poll by the STEM research institute.

In conclusion, Czechia has been accommodating a significant number of Ukrainian refugees with temporary protection status per population among EU nations. The temporary protection mechanism has granted refugees access to public health insurance, education, and the labour market. Although Germany and Poland have granted temporary protection status to a higher number of Ukrainian refugees, Czechia has been the third most popular destination among EU nations. The temporary protection extension until March 2024 will help gain more precise data on the number of refugees who are staying in Czechia.

Article by Prague Forum