Ukrainians have been granted temporary protection in the Czech Republic, but among them, there are those who abuse this status.
While they are officially in the country, many have returned to Ukraine while continuing to take advantage of privileges such as the ability to travel freely within the Schengen Zone. To prevent such abuses, a new law, Lex Ukraine VII, has been proposed, which will significantly limit these opportunities. The amendment represents a rare example of cooperation between the government and the opposition.
The amendment is still awaiting discussion in the Senate and the president’s signature, but according to Minister of the Interior Vít Rakušan, it could take effect as early as February. Five amendments proposed by MP Hubert Lang from the ANO party, aimed at preventing abuses of the system, have been approved with little difficulty.
One of the proposals addresses the issue when a Ukrainian refugee in the Czech Republic provides an address for receiving temporary protection but does not actually stay there.
Lang claims that in Prague, there are about 3,000 such cases where individuals are formally registered but do not actually live at the provided address. Experts have confirmed this information, although official statistics for the entire Czech Republic are not yet available.
In addition, refugees receiving temporary protection are entitled to humanitarian aid of approximately 200 euros per month for the first five months. However, there have been cases where people receive the aid, return to Ukraine, but the money continues to be deposited into their accounts.
One of the amendments also aims to prevent abuse by foreigners who already have residency in the Czech Republic but still attempt to apply for international protection.
