Deputy Ombudsman of the Czech Republic accused the Ministry of Internal Affairs of violating the rights of Ukrainian refugees
Hundreds of Ukrainians, who ended up in the Czech Republic after the start of a full-scale war, daily face not only the challenges of household arrangements or finding work, but also legal paradoxes. Many of them try to legally change the country of temporary protection – according to life circumstances, problems with housing, medicine or employment. And although such a right is guaranteed by European legislation, in the Czech Republic this opportunity often turns into a dead end. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country refuses to consider the appeals of Ukrainians who already had status in another EU state, but want to receive protection in the Czech Republic.
This situation is open stated Vit Aleksandr Shorm, deputy Czech ombudsman. He sharply criticized the actions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and pointed out directly: its refusal to consider the applications of Ukrainians contradicts both European norms and the decision of the Supreme Administrative Court of the Czech Republic. According to Schorm, the main principle is currently distorted – a person has the right to temporary protection in one EU member state, but this does not mean that he cannot change this country. It is enough only to officially renounce the previous status.
However, the Ministry not only does not recognize this right, but also ignores direct court orders. As Schorm emphasizes, the selective non-implementation of decisions of the highest judicial instance undermines the very basis of trust in the state. If the court is no longer the guarantor of justice, then citizens — regardless of whether they are refugees or local residents — find themselves in legal limbo.
“Today we are talking about Ukrainians, tomorrow – about the Czechs themselves.” he remarked.
This approach has a number of consequences not only for refugees, but also for the Czech Republic itself. First, the state is threatened with lawsuits, which may result in financial costs from the budget. Second, people without a clearly defined status are forced to exist in a gray zone—work illegally, live without access to medicine or education, and be vulnerable to exploitation. And this is not only a humanitarian problem, but also a threat to social stability.
The deputy ombudsman called on the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vit Rakushan, to immediately change the department’s internal instructions, to bring them into line with court decisions and the requirements of European law. In case of delay, Schorm believes, the Czech Republic may lose the image of a legal state that it has been building for decades.
He also announced a personal meeting with the minister to convey the criticality of the situation and prevent further escalation. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic’s temporary protection policy remains in legal conflict with its own laws and the expectations of thousands of people who saw the country as a space of safety, not bureaucratic resistance.
