More than 500 Chechens have claimed asylum in the Czech Republic in the past 10
days - almost as many as in the whole of last year. More than 70 claimed asylum
on Friday alone.
They have not come straight from Chechnya. Instead, they have crossed over from
neighbouring Poland, where they had already claimed asylum.
However, they told Czech officials they were unhappy with the conditions in the
camp where they were being held.
Both Czech and Polish officials say the Chechens believe it will be easier to
get asylum in the Czech Republic.
Camp overcrowding
But the Chechens may find little improvement in conditions on the other side of
the border. The main Czech camp for refugee claimants has 600 places and nearly
800 occupants.
A camp official told the Czech news agency they were using every available space,
with people sleeping in the dining areas and kitchens.
On Monday, Czech and Polish officials will meet in Warsaw to decide what to do
about the influx.
The Czech Republic has already tightened its asylum laws; last year the number
of asylum seekers fell by nearly 50%.
Nonetheless, the number of claimants from the Russian Federation continued to
rise - more than two-thirds of them from Chechnya alone.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/europe/2977479.stm