To Be a Refugee in the Czech Republic - Text 2

To Be a Refugee in the Czech Republic

A My name is Carol Sanford. As a volunteer for OPU (Organizace pro pomoc uprchlíkům, Organisation for Aid to Refugees), I had come to know Patrick Francis, a tall, thin, dark-skinned man from Pakistan. He was telling me the story of his ex-roommates at a refugee camp at Červený Újezd in the Czech Republic. It is a compound converted from old army barracks, holding a total of about 300 people: families, single men and some single women.

B The rooms are just big enough to hold metal beds, a wardrobe, some chairs and a table. There's a cafeteria, library, a small building for children's games and a place for adults to play basketball. It is surrounded by trees, and the nearest village is within walking distance.

C Patrick himself was a Christian, and when someone burned the Koran back in his native community in Pakistan, he was considered the likely suspect by some Muslims. They beat him up at least twice and so, because he thought he'd never be safe, he left his wife and two daughters with his brother and went to Karachi where, a little over a year ago, he met up with Ahmad and together they paid a man to get them to Germany.

D The man provided passports and papers, and, soon, they were on a plane to Moscow, where met another man who was to drive them to Germany. He drove for five nights, after which, he declared they were in Germany. Actually, Patrick and Ahmad had been dropped off in a small village in the Czech Republic. With help from the Czech police, they made their way to the refugee camp at Červený Újezd.

E Today, it is Patrick's last day at Červený Újezd. He has to leave because he's received his second "negative," which means that his first and second applications for asylum in the Czech Republic have been rejected; the Czech government no longer supports him with the free room, board and monthly stipend of 360 Czech crowns (USD 11) given to every adult. And so, after over a year in the Czech Republic, Patrick continues to fight with the process of asylum in a refugee camp – hoping that, someday, he will live and work here independently in peace and make enough money to send to his family back in Pakistan.

barracks – kasárna

suspect – podezírat

1) Read the article and match each of the headings to a paragraph.

1 Escape to the Czech Republic

2 Patrick’s problems in Pakistan

3 Introduction

4 The last day in Červený Újezd

5 Description of the rooms

2) Read the article and answer the questions.

       1 What is the article about?

2 Who is Carol Sanford?

3 What does Červený Újezd look like?

4 What problems did Patrick have in Pakistan?

5 How did he get to the Czech Republic?

6 Can he stay in the Czech Republic? Why?

3) Explain the following words.

1 refugee camp

2 Christian

3 application for asylum

4 immigrant

5 passport

4) Answer the following questions.

What are push factors to leave a homeland? What are pull factors that make people emigrate? What is national origin of the people coming to the Czech Republic?

Adjusted to:

 http://www.ce-review.org/99/19/sanford19.html