Czech Republic prepares major changes for refugees: what should Ukrainians know?

The Czech Republic is preparing major changes to its legislation on refugees and migrants. Find out how they plan to tighten the legislation and who will be affected by the new rules

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The Czech government plans to significantly tighten its policy towards asylum seekers and foreigners staying in the country. According to CTK, the changes to migration legislation proposed by the Ministry of the Interior have already been supported by the ruling coalition and Prime Minister Petr Fiala. It is expected that the Parliament will start discussing them in April 2025.

Major legislative changes: what will change for refugees and migrants in the Czech Republic?

The reform of Czech migration policy envisages several key changes aimed at strengthening control over foreigners and speeding up deportation procedures:

● Foreigners who have been expelled from the Czech Republic will not be able to re-apply for asylum.

● If another EU country has made a decision to deport a person, the Czech Republic will no longer review the matter.

● Decisions on asylum refusal and deportation will be made simultaneously.

● If a migrant is convicted of a crime, the court will consider deportation.

● Mandatory epidemiological screening for migrants.

● Authorities and police will have access to information from migrants' cell phones for identification purposes.

● Control over the place of residence of asylum seekers and restrictions on their social benefits.

● Speeding up the processing of international protection cases: the processing time will be reduced to 5 weeks to 1 year.

These measures are aimed at improving security in the country, but migrant rights organizations have already criticized these innovations, calling them a political move ahead of the elections.

It is also noted that last year, according to the report of the Ministry of the Interior, the Czech Republic recorded 1363 applications for international protection. The most frequent applicants for protection were from Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Vietnam.

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What else should Ukrainians in the Czech Republic keep in mind?

Recently, it became known that the Czech government fears a possible increase in migration flows after the end of the war, when many Ukrainian men may come to the Czech Republic to reunite with their families. In this case, all newly arrived Ukrainian citizens will be required to go through the standard procedure for obtaining the right to legal residence, and the government will have the opportunity to either approve or reject such applications.

In addition, Ukrainians with temporary protection status will lose it immediately after the end of the war, but will have the right to stay in the Czech Republic for another 1.5 years.

If you do not know how best to act in your situation or are looking for the best ways to legalize your stay outside Ukraine, please contact Visit Ukraine lawyers. Our migration law experts will help you understand the requirements, prepare the necessary documents and find the best option for legal residence in the Czech Republic or any other country.

Contact Visit Ukraine lawyers for advice to be sure of your status and future!

We remind you! The Czech Republic has defined the conditions for obtaining a special residence permit for Ukrainian refugees. Read who can apply for a residence permit and what requirements the government sets in our previous post.

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