If you look at the statistics presented by the police, it is easy to see that in all categories the first places are occupied by citizens of Russia and Ukraine, and the only real competition for them is perhaps the Chinese. Thus, last year Russia became the leader in the number of people caught attempting to illegally cross the Czech state border. The overwhelming majority of the three thousand such cases were Chechens who had left refugee camps in neighboring Poland.
In total, over the past year, border guards caught 13,200 people. When asked how many refugees actually cross the Czech borders unnoticed, the director of the foreign police replied with the amazing logic of Schweik: "I think there are not many. Because if the Germans did not catch them on their side, then there are no refugees. The German border guards work well..."
Now a few words about illegal migrants who have already settled in the Czech Republic without the necessary visa or residence permit. In this category, Ukrainian citizens are the undisputed leader. The number of detained Ukrainians accounts for as much as 80% of the total number of caught illegal migrants. The top five also included citizens of Belarus, Vietnam, Moldova, and Russia.
It is curious that last year the number of illegal migrants who themselves appeared at police stations increased significantly. Colonel Miloslav Smetana of the foreign police tried to explain why:
- At the end of last year, Poland introduced visas for citizens of Ukraine and some other states. Subsequently, Polish border guards denied entry to Poland to Ukrainians who illegally lived and worked in the Czech Republic. Hundreds of Ukrainians thus remained locked in our country. They wanted to go home, but Poland did not allow them into its territory. Therefore, the Ukrainians were forced to appear before the Czech police, who processed documents for them, stamped a ban on staying in the Czech Republic in their passports, and inserted an exit visa. Only then did the Poles allow Ukrainians transit from the Czech Republic to Ukraine.
As is known, in connection with the Czech Republic's accession to the European Union, citizens will face a significant easing of the visa regime, as well as the processing of residence permits. Can citizens of third countries, including Russians and Ukrainians, hope for any easing?
- No easing of conditions for citizens of third countries is planned, - noted Miloslav Smetana. - There are some changes: for example, the current annual visa will be called a residence permit, and people will receive new-type documents. The number of certificates that foreigners must gather and provide to the police does not change. It is only planned that foreigners will not have to obtain a certificate of no criminal record themselves. The police will contact the prosecutor's office and request the data.
Another change prepared by the Czech Foreign Police is a new model of the Czech visa. Some Czech consulates abroad are already inserting visas with photographs into foreigners' passports.