Christian refugees in Czech Republic choose to return to Iraq

A group of 16 Christian refugees from Iraq have applied to return to Iraq. Interior Minister Milan Chovanec informed about it on Twitter, according to the Prague Daily Monitor.

This is the third group of refugees that wants to leave the Czech Republic. Earlier this month a group of 25 moved unexpectedly to Germany. The German government decided to send 20 of them back to the Czech Repbulic, only a five-member family could stay in Germany because their father was granted asylum.

A week ago, another family of 8 returned to Iraq after they asked for it.

THE GROUP HAD TRIED TO ENTER GERMANY

The new group of 16 people also tried to move to Germany, in a privately hired minibus. But they were stopped and detained before they could cross the border. Later, the police released them because they had not violated rules as they still were in the Czech Republic.

Now the group wants to return to Iraq.

CZECH CHRISTIANS SURPRISED

Interior Minister Chovanec told a Czech Television that he doesn't know why the group changed their mind and wanted to leave the Czech Republic.

Neither does Jan Talafant from Generace 21, the Christian organisation which helped the refugees in the process of getting asylum in the Czech Republic, earlier this year. Talafant added that it would be fair if the refugees would pay for their transport by themselves.

As a result of this controversy, the goverment decided to cancel Generace 21's program to resettle 153 Christian Iraqi refugees.