Czech Republic tightens rules for Ukrainian refugees and considers excluding men of military age

The Czech government has approved legislative amendments tightening the conditions of stay and access to financial support for Ukrainian refugees.

Reuters reports this.

The amendments were approved on Monday. The authorities explained the decision by citing abuses of the aid system and the fact that refugees enjoy certain advantages over local residents. The proposals require parliamentary approval.

Interior Minister Lubomir Metnar said at a press conference that as of March the country, with a population of more than 10 million, had taken in 385,000 Ukrainian refugees. According to him, the Czech Republic is hosting the largest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita in the European Union.

Metnar explained that the government intends to exclude from humanitarian aid and residence permits those who do not reside in the country on a permanent basis. In addition, an exemption that had freed Ukrainian vehicles from technical inspections will be abolished — the minister said this is no longer justified.

Metnar also noted that discussions in the European Union on extending refugee protection beyond March 2027 may include proposals to “narrow” that protection in order to exclude men of military age, given Ukraine’s shortage of military personnel and people needed for reconstruction work.

The Czech government is a populist coalition that includes an anti-Ukrainian far-right party. The authorities must balance the demands of anti-immigration far-right forces, the task of supporting refugees, and the interests of businesses seeking to employ Ukrainians in the services and construction sectors.

The current humanitarian aid system provides payments depending on length of stay, income, and status. During the first 150 days after receiving temporary protection, adults receive 4,860 crowns and children 3,490 crowns. After that period, the payment for adults without vulnerable-person status is reduced to 3,130 crowns.

The Czech Republic previously announced a financial surplus from supporting Ukraine and hosting refugees. Since 2022, the country’s spending on aid to Kyiv has totaled 91.3 billion crowns, while budget revenues reached 104 billion crowns. According to former Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Prague earned 12.7 billion crowns more than it spent.