The Minister of Internal Affairs of the Czech Republic, Vit Rakushan, said that after the cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, the Czech Republic will stop providing temporary protection to Ukrainian refugees. This decision provides for the replacement of temporary protection with standard mechanisms that apply to citizens of other countries who want to obtain a residence permit in the Czech Republic.
The Czech authorities aim to implement this decision during Poland's presidency of the Council of the European Union. According to Rakushan, the changes need international support and should be coordinated at the European level. This process is expected to be completed in the first half of 2024.
According to the proposal of the Czech government, Ukrainians who are currently in the Czech Republic under temporary protection will receive a kind of moratorium on the termination of protection. This will allow people to remain in the country for a certain period of time, but after that they must go through the procedure of obtaining a residence permit, as is provided for citizens of other nationalities.
Such changes can significantly affect the status of Ukrainians in the Czech Republic, because after the end of the war, they will have to switch to standard mechanisms that provide for the preparation of documents for a long-term stay or the provision of other types of residence. This will have significant implications for those who plan to remain in the country after temporary protection ends.
