By KYIV. Nov 1 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Refugees, who have been issued temporary visas in the European Union and who have returned to Ukraine, can return to the EU before the onset of winter, České noviny said with reference to Czech Interior Minister Vít Rakušan.
According to him, about 4.3 million refugees have arrived in the EU, and about one fifth of them have already returned. Approximately the same statistics on returns from the Czech Republic, which issued 454,000 visas to Ukrainian refugees.
"If someone has left for Ukraine in the meantime, living in Ukraine now, he has already been granted temporary protection in one of the EU states, he has the right to return to the EU if conditions do not allow him to stay in Ukraine for the winter," Rakušan said.
According to him, the number of refugees from Ukraine may increase to 5 million, the Czech Republic may accept up to half a million of them.
"To be able to provide decent accommodation, all that more than half a million arrivals is already a big burden for both the healthcare system and the education system, but above all for decent accommodation. It will definitely not work to build improvised tents in winter," Rakušan added.
Currently, the EU provides temporary protection until the end of March next year. The European Commission has already agreed on an extension for another year, the member countries will discuss it.
