The nine European Union member states, which were most affected by the wave of refugees caused by the Russian attack on Ukraine, are jointly asking Brussels for financial assistance, Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Regional Development Minister Ivan Bartos announced on Thursday in Prague.

According to an article published in Magyar Hírlap, nine European Union countries will submit a proposal for a package of measures containing 14 points to the European Commission by the end of April. According to Ivan Bartos, the proposal of the package of measures was developed jointly by the four Visegrad countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia), as well as Bulgaria, Romania and the three Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania).

"In the joint letter, the ministers of the nine countries call on the European Commission to extend the time set for the completion of the projects so far, i.e. to extend the payment obligations of the beneficiaries of the subsidies by one year," stated Ivan Bartos.

At the same time, the nine countries ask the European Commission to approve the programs of the new EU budget period (2021-2027) as soon as possible, which would enable their financing. This could also help refugees.

The wave of Ukrainian refugees affects the member states of the European Union in different ways, so there is a need for mutual solidarity, which would enable better care for refugees, the announcement states.

According to Ivan Bartos, the joint measures requested from Brussels were initiated by the Czech Republic, but in the next period the issue will be coordinated by Estonia, because the Czech Republic will take over the presidency of the European Union on the first of July.

In the Czech Republic, according to the latest data from the Ministry of the Interior, more than 300,000 Ukrainian refugees have applied for and received special visas entitling them to a one-year stay. The Czech government estimated the costs of solving the refugee crisis at 54 billion crowns (847.8 billion forints). The cabinet expects that part of the money will be reimbursed by the European Commission to the Czech Republic.

Source: Magyar Hírlap

Featured image: MH/Tamás Purger