New rules for accepting refugees, including veterans, are being developed in the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is preparing for changes in its migration policy: newly arrived Ukrainian veterans will no longer be able to automatically receive temporary protection. The government plans to introduce strict checks and revise the conditions of refugees' stay in case the war ends. Read how this will affect Ukrainians in the article

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In the Czech Republic, the Ministry of the Interior (MoI) is preparing radical changes to its policy towards Ukrainian refugees, especially those with combat experience.

These innovations are aimed at preventing potential security risks and reducing the burden on the Czech mental health system.

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New rules for veterans: verification, not automatic protection

According to the Minister of the Interior, Vít Rakušan, in an interview with Novinky.cz, the Czech Republic is no longer ready to automatically grant temporary protection to people arriving in the country with military experience.

Instead, a procedure for registration and security checks of such persons will be introduced.

"We are looking for solutions on how to determine and register the fact that a person has been through war. This is a challenge that we have not yet faced," , Rakushan said.

According to the minister, armed training and the possible presence of post-traumatic syndromes among veterans can pose serious threats.

Some of them may not be ready for peaceful life, which poses a potential danger to themselves and others.

When the war ends, so does protection

The Czech Ministry of the Interior plans to tie the termination of temporary protection to the end of the active phase of hostilities. In the event of a ceasefire lasting three months or more, Prague will take the initiative to completely stop providing such protection to new refugees.

“I will push for this at the June EU Interior Ministers' Council in Luxembourg,” the minister emphasized.

People who already have temporary protection status will be able to stay in the Czech Republic for a certain period (from one to one and a half years), but new applicants will be subject to a standard but strict procedure with numerous checks, including security checks.

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Psychological services on the brink: veterans as a challenge for medicine

The Minister also drew attention to a serious shortage of specialists in psychiatry and psychology. Veterans may have invisible injuries that require specialized care, but the current system is unable to meet even the existing demand.

In this regard, negotiations are underway with Charles University to increase the number of student places in the relevant specialties. The government is also analyzing the possibility of creating separate support programs for people with combat experience.

Mass migration after the war: what do the security services say?

Czech intelligence services have already warned that tens of thousands of Ukrainians, including veterans who will return to their families, may move to the country after the active phase of the war is over. If there are people with unstable mental states or dangerous pasts among them, this could pose a challenge to the security system.

Nevertheless, Rakushan assured that family reunification will take place, but “under completely different conditions” than those that have been in place since the beginning of the full-scale war.

Europe is preparing an exit strategy: what awaits the temporary protection?

Similar debates are taking place in Brussels. According to Euractiv, the European Union is preparing new decisions on extending or curtailing the temporary protection program.

According to the current directive, the duration of such protection should not exceed three years. But it already goes beyond that, which creates legal uncertainty.

At the EU level, the possibility of a final extension for another year is being considered. However, restrictions are being prepared in parallel: for example, the exclusion of those who have returned to Ukraine from the possibility of further protection, or a ban on granting status to new arrivals if the war is officially ended.

The refugee situation in Europe, and in particular in the Czech Republic, is entering a new phase. After more than three years since the beginning of russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, politicians, officials and society are forced to reconsider their approaches to helping those who fled the war.

Veterans, as a specific category of refugees, have come into the spotlight, and now not only the stability of the Czech Republic, but also the entire region depends on their adaptation to peaceful life.

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Reminder! More than 578,000 Ukrainians live in the Czech Republic. For many years, this country has remained one of the most popular destinations for emigration thanks to its stable economy, high quality of life and wide range of employment opportunities. How Ukrainians can move to the Czech Republic in 2025 — read more in our article.

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