On Thursday, Czech President Petr Pavel signed amendments to the law on expanding the protection of refugees from Ukraine from Russian military aggression.
This is reported on the website of the head of state, Ukrinform reports.
The amendments to the law relate, in particular, to extending the period of protection for refugees from Ukraine, as well as tightening conditions for Russians who want to obtain Czech citizenship.
It is expected that Ukrainian refugees who have been living in the Czech Republic for more than two years will be able to obtain a special long-term residence permit. This applies to those who are provided with housing, are economically independent and do not benefit from the refugee benefits system. For children, a prerequisite is that they attend a Czech school.
The amendments to the law also introduce criminal liability for unauthorized activities in favor of a foreign state (imprisonment for up to 5 years in normal times and up to 15 years in martial law). In addition, from now on, Russians who want to obtain Czech citizenship will be able to do so only if they renounce their Russian citizenship and provide evidence of this. The law, however, allows for exceptions, for example, for asylum seekers.
As a reminder, the amendments introduced by members of the lower house of the Czech parliament were discussed by the Senate on January 22, but were not fully approved by lawmakers and submitted to the president for signature.
On June 25, 2024, the EU Council decided to extend temporary protection until March 4, 2026, for more than 4 million Ukrainians fleeing the Russian war of aggression in the EU.
Photo: David Neff, Seznam Zpravy
Source: Czech President extends protection period for Ukrainian refugees
