More than 100 representatives of the Belarusian diaspora in the Czech Republic gathered for a conference
Today, the Conference of Belarusians in the Czech Republic will take place in Prague, for which, according to the organizing committee, more than 100 people have already registered.
The conference will be held in the building of the Prague City Hall under the patronage of the Mayor of Prague, Bohuslav Svoboda. According to Kristiana Shiyanok, a member of the organizing committee and head of the Office of Democratic Forces of Belarus in the Czech Republic, this demonstrates the trust of the city authorities in Belarusians.
On the eve of the event, Kristiana Shiyanok told Radio Svoboda about the Belarusian community in the Czech Republic and some of the issues that will be discussed at the conference.
"Four years ago, the First Congress of Belarusians in the Czech Republic took place, which then had the format of a meeting with mandates for voting, including to outline some of our positions related to the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. The current event will take place in a different format. Rather, it will be a reflection on the changes that have occurred with us, as well as the identification and analysis of new challenges faced by the Belarusian community in the Czech Republic today," noted Kristiana Shiyanok.
The number of Belarusians in the Czech Republic has increased, although the influx of new migrants from Belarus has been quite small in recent years, due to visa restrictions introduced by the Czech Republic in 2022. The number of new Belarusian political refugees in the Czech Republic is measured not in hundreds, but in tens per year. Previously, Belarusians who came to work, study, or reunite with family members steadily arrived.
According to official data cited by Kristiana Shiyanok, in 2021, there were more than 8200 Belarusians in the Czech Republic with permanent and temporary residence permits; now there are slightly more than 7000. However, some Belarusians have managed to acquire Czech citizenship over these years.
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