CYIL vol. 9 (2018)

CYIL 9 ȍ2018Ȏ THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND SOLIDARITY WITH REFUGEES … presumed to be relatively high when the use of all the other possibilities is counted together. There were more than 7,000 people from the former Yugoslavian countries residing as foreigners on the basis of a residency permit in 1997; 48 this number included the former temporary refuge beneficiaries. Besides the temporary refuge programme, the government resolution paid a lot of attention to two other types of help. The first one being help to children in the territory of the Czech Republic (Czech and Slovak Federal Republic), the other one in the territory of the states (and newly created states) of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. There were two government resolutions aimed at humanitarian help to children from the former Yugoslavia adopted in 1992. 49 The Government agreed to transport 700 beneficiaries to the Czech Republic at first, and later the number was increased by another 500 beneficiaries. 50 The Czech state not only covered the beneficiaries’ costs of the stay and provided them with subsequent support in the Czech Republic; moreover, it assigned the Czech Government’s Commissioner for Refugees the task to carry out the transport itself. 51 It seems that from the legal point of view the status of children was also a residency permit upon the temporary refuge programme. 52 The material aid was the last measure that the government agreed upon, but it was still relatively early after the break-up of the conflict, in 1992. 53 Firstly, it aimed at domestic coordination of the different actors that were sending help from the Czech Republic. Secondly, the international coordination of the help granted by the Czech Government was needed. The Government provided support to victims of the conflicts in the territory of the former Yugoslavia in cooperation with coordination centres of international help. Besides that, the government prepared an overview of possible projects of help when the conflict would be over, later it agreed to some of them primarily in the form of material help connected to repatriation. 54 Later the help was also aimed at enabling people to return back to their regions of origin, which meant that it was connected to the voluntary return programme. 55 The Czech Republic sent humanitarian aid to the former Yugoslavia, namely to Bosnia and Herzegovina (already during the conflicts). It did so often in cooperation with Czech NGOs; 56 the activities were located into three particular locations there. The Czech help included for instance the reconstruction of medical facilities and buildings. Good relations 48 See the website of the Czech Statistical Office, table “Foreigners in the CR according to the citizenship between 1994–2017”. Online at – https://www.czso.cz/csu/cizinci/4-ciz_pocet_cizincu#cr [accessed 22 June 2018]. 49 See the Government Resolution No. 527, 26 August 1992 on provision of humanitarian help to children from the former Yugoslavia, see Government Resolution No. 589, 14 October 1992 on measures taken to help victims of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia. The first one mentions that the number 700 is composed of 580 children and 120 people who accompanied them. The Government provided financial support even for the transport. 50 The research shows that the beneficiaries were children with their mothers. 51 See the two above mentioned resolutions. 52 See Government Resolution No. 769, 30 December 1992 point I/1. 53 See e.g. Government Resolution No. 589, 14 October 1992 on measures taken to help victims of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia. 54 See e.g. a Government Resolution No. 589, 14 October 1992 on measures taken to help victims of armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia (esp. the Annex I, point II/1-3) and a Government Resolution No. 731 from 13 December 1995 on prolongation of temporary refuge. 55 See Government Resolution No. 318, 5 June 1996, see Government Resolution No. 579, 13 November 1996. 56 See PILÁT WHALEN…, op. cit., p. 13.

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