Czech to create refugee camp in north Moravia

Dana Novakova, mayor of Vysni Lhoty in North Moravia, said on Monday that a refugee camp will be created in the town.

She said she does not know when this happens, it will depend on the speed of transfer of the complex from the justice ministry to the interior ministry.

Vysni Lhoty is a small town with over 800 inhabitants. Novakova said the complex would not be a residential facility, but a detention (closed) one, which is less frightening for the locals.

She said they hope the complex could operate as a reception center. The complex would not affect the revenue or expenditure of the town, it would provide job opportunity for the local people such as working in a warehouse or in the kitchen.

The complex in Vysni Lhoty has an area of 75,000 square metres and it was already used to accommodate refugees in the past.

The complex was opened in the mid-1990s with a capacity of 580 beds and it is comprised of accommodation and administrative buildings and storage facilities.

The complex has not been used to accommodate refugees since December 2009. In July 2011, it was declared redundant. The Czech Republic will need more capacities in refugee centres in connection with the current influx of illegal immigrants to Europe. Endit