Czech Republic Extends Protection for Ukrainian Refugees
The Czech parliament has approved in the third reading the Lex Ukrajina VII law, which will extend temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine, who currently number about 380,000 in the Czech Republic, Novinky reports.
The current temporary protection was set to expire on the last day of March. Thanks to the new law, it can be extended for another year, and then, if necessary, for another year.
‘There is a clear reason why we are in a hurry. The electronic registration of Ukrainians still residing in the Czech Republic must be completed by mid-March,’ said Interior Minister Vit Rakusan in his closing remarks on people with temporary protection.
According to him, the Senate may discuss the law at one of its first meetings in January, after which the president should sign it, which, according to Rakusan, means that the law will come into force in early February. Initially, the law was supposed to come into force on 1 January 2025.
At the same time, refugees who have stable jobs and do not receive government assistance will be able to apply for a special long-term residence permit. After five years, they will be able to apply for a permanent residence permit.
The minister also clarified that if a ceasefire or peace is declared in Ukraine, a solution to the refugee problem will be sought during Poland's presidency of the European Union in the next six months.
‘Our proposal, which I hope we will push through during the Polish presidency, is as follows: when there is a ceasefire, the war ends, the provision of temporary protection should end,’ the minister said.
Two controversial amendments were submitted to the law. One concerns the rule that Russians will first have to renounce their Russian citizenship in order to obtain Czech citizenship.
The other amendment introduced a new criminal offence of acting for a foreign state if a person illegally collects sensitive, even if not classified, information and transmits it to another state.
Both amendments were approved by MPs.