Polish citizen in transit stranded at Prague airport for four days

Prague, May 14 (CTK) – A Polish citizen was forced to spend four days at Václav Havel Airport in Prague after he tried to return to his country from the Netherlands and the authorities did not allow him to enter Czech soil.

Polish consul picked up the man, Pawel Jurski, today and will help him return to his country.

Jurski said he wanted to arrive in Prague and then travel to Poland by land. He told CTK he does not know why the Czech authorities did not allow him to do so.

“The Immigration Police referred me to the Interior Ministry, which in turn referred to the Immigration Police,” he said.

The Immigration Police declined to comment on the situation, citing the law on the protection of personal information.

Jurski noted that the Polish embassy informed the Czech authorities about his return plan, a step required by the measures implemented in the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic for all EU citizens transiting through the Czech Republic.

Neither Jurski nor the Polish embassy provided any explanation of what resolved the situation in the end.

Jurski was able to sleep at the airport, but had to make use of vending machines to secure food and water.

The special measures also apply to foreigners returning to their home country through the Czech Republic.