Czech Republic will not provide free housing to Ukrainian refugees

In the Czech Republic, as of September 1, the government has canceled free humanitarian housing for Ukrainian refugees, but starting August 1, they have increased the financial assistance.

This decision was made by the government, according to Radio Prague International.

The housing expense allowance, which is part of the humanitarian aid for refugees, will increase to 6000 CZK (237 euros) per month for vulnerable groups and 4000 CZK (158 euros) for others. It will no longer matter whether the housing where refugees live is listed in a special register; currently, this still affects the amount of the payments.

Humanitarian assistance can only be received by refugee households whose incomes do not exceed the subsistence minimum plus the calculated housing expenses determined by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

This is the less costly option for the Czech state out of the two proposed by the Ministry of Labor. According to calculations, after the near-complete abolition of free housing for refugees, which is currently paid for by the Czech state, the Ministry of the Interior would save between 140,000 and 160,000 CZK (5540-6332 euros) per month. However, the Ministry of Labor required increased payments to refugees totaling 116.6 million CZK. Thus, over a year, the Ministry of the Interior would reduce its expenses by 1.68-1.92 billion CZK, while the Ministry of Labor would increase its expenses by 1.4 billion CZK.

Currently, the Czech state provides free housing to able-bodied refugees for no more than five months, but this limit does not apply to vulnerable groups, including children and adolescents under 18, students, pregnant women, elderly people over 65, people with disabilities, those caring for them, or those caring for children under 6.

Starting September 1, the period for providing free housing will be reduced to 90 days for everyone, including vulnerable groups. Those who received such housing more than 90 days before September 1 will lose it.

Across Europe, refugee assistance programs are gradually being rolled back. For instance, in Lithuania, at the request of the Ukrainian authorities, the program for free higher education for Ukrainian refugees is being closed.

In Bavaria, Germany, there has even been discussion about sending Ukrainian men of conscription age back to Ukraine “if Ukraine requests it.”