Related articles
PanoramaKde Domov Muj? The Danacek deportation debacle
The Daneceks were for years a fairly normal Czech-American family, living
their lives, sending their kids to school and paying off their mortgage.
But three weeks ago the family's lives were turned upside-down, when -
after 15 years - they were deported from the United States. This expulsion
is the latest in a series of misfortunes to have struck the Daneceks, who
are now living in cramped temporary accommodation near Prague.
More
Current AffairsBureaucratic obstacles plague foreign residents
Prior to the revolution, foreigners were quite rare in this country. But
since 1989, immigration has risen significantly. That increase led to the
formation of the Committee for the Integration of Foreigners in 2000. It
aims to create long term legislation and practical measures for the
integration of foreigners. The committee recently had a special survey
conducted - and one thing is clear- the bureaucratic procedures involving
work and residency permits are a major obstacle for long term residents. More
Current AffairsForeigners unaware that Ombudsman is there for them too
On December 8th 1999, the Czech Parliament adopted a law which established
an Ombudsman or Public Defender of Rights. But while many Czechs have been
making use of this service, few foreigners are aware that they too have
the right to ask the ombudsman for assistance. To reach more foreigners
and inform them on what the ombudsman's office has done so far, a press
conference was held in Brno this week.
More
Current AffairsForeign Minister Svoboda asks USA to waive visa requirement and relocated RFE/RL
The Czech Foreign Minister, Cyril Svoboda, is in the United States, and one
of his most ambitious missions has been to persuade the USA to waive visa
requirements for Czech citizens. Of the new EU members only Slovenia meets
the criteria set by the US authorities. The number of Czech illegal
workers in the States is still above the threshold set in the so-called
"visa waiver programme"; its estimated that tens of thousands of
Czechs have entered the United States on tourist visas and now live and
work there illegally. More
Current AffairsUS likely to retain visa requirements for Czech visitors despite calls for their removal
Despite being one of America's staunchest allies in Europe, Czech citizens
still need to apply for a visa to visit the United States. For many of
them, this can be a long and relatively expensive process. Some Czech
politicians are now calling for these visa requirements to be lifted.
More
