Czech Republic agrees to accept 153 Iraqi Christian refugees
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 14 December 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Czech Republic agrees to accept 153 Iraqi Christian refugees, 14 December 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56813dc16.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
December 14, 2015
The Czech government said on December 14 that it has decided to accept 37 Iraqi Christian families that are fleeing Islamic State militants in Iraq.
Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka described the families as "member of the Christian minority who found themselves in a very difficult situation following the Islamic State aggression in Iraq and asked the Czech Republic for help."
Sobotka said a total of 153 refugees from the families would arrive in four groups between January and April.
He said they are currently based in Iraq's Kurdistan region and in Lebanon.
Aside from several dozen refugees who have followed formal asylum procedures, they will be the first refugees from Iraq who have been accepted by Prague.
Last week, a group of 149 Assyrian Christians from Iraq arrived in neighboring Slovakia after being offered aid by the government in Bratislava.
Based on reporting by AFP and Radio.cz
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
