Okamura Wants to Tighten Restrictions on Ukrainian Refugees in the Czech Republic
The lower house of the Czech Parliament will consider amendments to the rules on temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens this week. The initiative was put forward by the nationalist party “Freedom and Direct Democracy,” led by Tomio Okamura.
The politician stated that he would like to completely eliminate benefits for Ukrainians, but this is not possible due to EU regulations. According to him, Prague plans to tighten the conditions of stay for temporary protection holders as much as possible within the limits permitted by EU law.
Among the proposed changes is a requirement to be present in the Czech Republic for at least 16 days out of every 30-day period in order to maintain temporary protection status. They also propose limiting financial assistance to only those Ukrainians who are officially employed, running a business, or registered with an employment center. Exceptions are provided for children, students, retirees, and people with disabilities.
In addition, the authors of the bill want to strengthen checks regarding criminal records, administrative offenses, and compliance with residency rules. Okamura also advocated for the revocation of temporary protection for foreigners who commit offenses and for their deportation.
Separately, the bill proposes creating a registry of vehicles with Ukrainian registration and introducing mandatory technical inspections for such vehicles.
Source: Ukrinform.
The Czech Foreign Minister met with the Ukrainian ambassador and plans to speak with Sybiga.
The Czech Foreign Minister plansto meet with the Ukrainian ambassador in response to Okamura’s statements.
