End of temporary protection: what awaits Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic next
According to the Czech Ministry of the Interior, about 300,000 Ukrainian citizens have received extensions of temporary asylum visas in the country. However, asylum can be extended for a maximum of three years. Find out more about what Ukrainians can expect after the end of their protection in the country
Discussions about the future of refugees abroad are increasingly becoming a hot topic. In particular, in the Czech Republic, the current system of temporary protection, which is planned to be extended until 2025, has become a subject of discussion.
However, what awaits Ukrainians after the possibility of obtaining an asylum visa expires? We will discuss this further in the article.
Temporary protection in the Czech Republic: what Ukrainians can expect in 2025
According to the European Commission, if the war in Ukraine does not end in the near future, the issue of extending temporary protection until March 2025 will be actively considered. The decision is expected to be approved by the end of October 2023.
The Czech Ministry of the Interior has announced the preparation of a draft law providing for the extension of the refugees' stay. The procedure for this decision is described in new amendments to the Lex Ukrajina law.
At the same time, discussions on the future of Ukrainian refugees after 2025 have already begun among European governments. In particular, the Czech Republic is considering various options for the further stay of Ukrainians, proukrainu.blesk.cz reports.
Pavla Novotná, Director of the Department of Asylum and Migration Policy of the Czech Ministry of the Interior (OAMP), said that the government is currently discussing two possible options:
The first one involves taking into account the period of temporary protection when obtaining permanent residence, and the second one is the determination of the status of a long-term EU resident.
The Lex Ukrajina law also received a new clause regarding the voluntary return of Ukrainians to their homeland. If this decision is adopted, the government will provide assistance to those who decide to return to Ukraine, covering some expenses.
This type of assistance will be available only once, and it will be possible to apply for it no later than 3 months after the end of temporary or international protection.
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How many Ukrainians have found asylum in the Czech Republic?
During 2022, the Czech Republic provided temporary protection to approximately half a million Ukrainians.
As of June 18, 2023, 344.8 thousand people from Ukraine have received visas, mostly women and children.
The Czech Republic ranks third in terms of the number of Ukrainians accepted relative to its population, ahead of other European countries.
However, the decision to stay or return has taken on a new dimension since July 1. In particular, changes were made to the period of free residence, which was reduced to 150 days after obtaining temporary protection, as well as new rules for receiving financial assistance.
According to surveys conducted on the social media platform ProUkraіnu, it turned out that some people actually decided to return to Ukraine or move to other countries because of the changes introduced by Lex Ukrajina V.
We remind you! Earlier, we wrote that the EU's response to the flow of refugees from Ukraine contains important lessons for European policy makers. Find out what the European Council sees as the benefits of Ukrainian migration and why Ukrainians have become useful to Europe here.
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