Rakušan: If ceasefire is declared, Ukrainians in Czechia will no longer receive temporary protection

After the declaration of a ceasefire or after the end of the war in Ukraine, Ukrainians in Czechia will no longer receive temporary protection, Interior Minister Vít Rakušan told the Novinky.cz server on Tuesday. Automatic protection would not be given even to men who already have families in the country, and they would have to apply for residence like other foreigners.

If a ceasefire is declared or the war ends, temporary protection would expire for all refugees in Czechia the next day. However, they will still be able to stay in the country for a certain period of time and would have the opportunity to apply for temporary residence. If they are from the territory occupied by Russia, they could also apply for political asylum. In Czechia, temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine is currently valid until the end of March 2025, but the EU agreed on a one-year extension last year. Temporary protection allows people who fled Russian aggression to access public health insurance, education and the labour market.