The Czech Senate has approved a major legal change that tightens asylum and migration rules in a bid to make the country’s borders safer. The law, aligned with the EU’s migration pact, changes how Czechia handles asylum claims and deportations, how the country monitors asylum seekers, and streamlines decisions on who can – and can’t – enter the country.
Affecting people from Ukraine, the Middle East, and elsewhere, here’s everything you need to know.
Faster track for deportations and decisions
The new legislation aims to speed up how asylum and deportation cases are handled. Foreigners who have been ordered to leave the country will no longer be allowed to reapply for asylum. If another EU country has issued an expulsion order, Czech authorities will accept that decision without needing to start the process again.
Two previously separate procedures – denial of international protection and deportation – will now be merged into one. The Ministry of the Interior’s migration department must issue decisions more quickly, and courts will be required to process appeals on a tighter timeline.
Changes to Ukrainian refugee protections
The amendment also responds to a court ruling that barred the Czech Republic from automatically rejecting Ukrainian refugees who already received temporary protection in other EU states.
Under the new rules, such applications may be dismissed if the Interior Ministry notifies the European Commission of strained national capacity due to high refugee numbers.
Tighter controls on migrants’ movement
Authorities will be given broader powers to track and regulate the movement of asylum seekers. Migrants may be assigned mandatory places of residence, including stays in designated asylum facilities. Police will also be allowed to access data from migrants’ mobile phones to help confirm identities.
Repeat offenders may face expulsion. Any foreigner who commits three registered offenses (such as shoplifting, assault, or causing public disturbances) within a year may lose their legal right to stay.
Limited access to work and benefits
The law also restricts employment and state support for asylum seekers. Access to the labor market may be curtailed, and the state can limit benefits such as food and housing.
Asylum seekers will have more responsibilities, including submitting required documents and undergoing health checks during registration.
Part of long-standing efforts to curb illegal immigration
Interior Minister Vít Rakušan said the law aligns with efforts across the EU to address illegal migration. “The Czech Republic cannot be left behind,” he told senators.
These changes come as part of the country’s drive to reduce asylum seekers in the country. Earlier this month, six EU countries, including Czechia, urged a coordinated tightening of the EU’s migration system.
Rakušan at an EU summit emphasized the need for practical solutions, including giving more support for origin countries (places where the migrants are from) to address the root causes of migration.
Opposition Senator Jana Mračková Vildumetzová criticized the law as reactive, accusing the government of solving a problem it helped create. The bill now awaits President Petr Pavel’s signature.