Reception - Czechia | DIP EUAA
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Czechia is bound by the recast Reception Conditions Directive and transposed its provisions by Act No 325/1999 Coll. on Asylum | Zákon č. 325/1999 Sb., o azylu.
11/11/1999: Act No 325/1999 Coll. on Asylum | Zákon č. 325/1999 Sb., o azylu. The Reception Conditions Directive was transposed through subsequent amendments to this Act.
| Authority responsible for reception | The Refugee Facilities Administration (RFA) under the Ministry of the Interior manages reception facilities. It also carries overall executive and financial responsibility over reception facilities (it pays for the establishment and maintenance costs of reception). The Ministry of the Interior is however legally responsible for establishing and closing centres. |
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| Other actors involved | Other actors - such as Church and Health Care Secondary School Brno, Diocesan Charity Brno, Diocesan Charity Hradec Králové, Caritas of the Archdiocese of Prague (as legal entities) - may operate in reception centres based on an agreement with the Refugee Facilities Administration. NGOs and other contracted persons or entities may provide supplementary services in the provision of material reception conditions. For instance, legal counselling is provided by NGOs. Leisure activities (music and sewing workshops) may be provided by NGOs. In several centres, there is a supply of second-hand clothes provided by NGOs. |
Reception is managed at a central level. The reception system consists of 5 state centres owned and managed by the Refuge Facilities Administration (2 arrival centres: in the transit area of the international airport in Prague and in Zastávka) and 4 residential centres in Kostelec nad Orlicí, Bělá pod Bezdězem, Zastávka (arrival and residential centre in one) and Havířov. According to law, the management of a reception facility can be outsourced to external contractors. This however is not applied in practice.
After completing entry procedures, applicants may be distributed from the arrival centre to the residential centre according to their individual needs or currents needs of the organisation.
There are four groups of specialised personnel who are in direct contact with applicants daily. The specialisations are: social workers, 24/7 staff, housing experts and leisure specialists. In addition, there is usually an operations and financial department in each facility.
Training includes a general overview and targeted training for each group.
An applicant is entitled to reception immediately after expressing the intent to apply for asylum, either at the border or within Czech territory.
There are three types of centres:
- Arrival centres (where the application is lodged)
- Residential centres (while applicants wait for the decision)
- Integration asylum centres for successful applicants.
Applicants are no longer entitled to be accommodated in the reception centre if the final decision is a rejection.
A contingency plan related to asylum is currently under review.
There are three types of reception facilities: arrival centres, residential centres and integration asylum centres.
Arrival centres are located at Václav Havel Airport in Prague-Ruzyně and in Zastávka. They accommodate newly-arrived applicants for international protection until the end of the basic entry procedures, which include:
- identification;
- initiation of proceedings for the granting of international protection;
- entrance interview and social investigation;
- entrance health examination.
Residential centres are located in Kostelec nad Orlicí, Havířov, Bělá pod Bezdězem and Zastávka. They accommodate applicants who have passed the entry procedures in an arrival centre and accommodate them during the duration of the proceedings on their application for international protection.
Integration asylum centres accommodate persons who have been granted international protection and have entered the State Integration Programme and requested temporary accommodation. They are located in Jaroměř, Předlice and Brno. The residential centre in Havířov has also served as an integration centre since the summer of 2014.
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| Name of the reception facility | Arrival centres (where applicants stay during the initial phase of the asylum procedure). |
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| Regime | Closed |
| Management | Refugee Facilities Administration |
| Type of applicants accommodated | The Prague-Ruzyně accommodates newly-arrived applicants for international protection and serves as a transfer centre for Dublin applicants on their way to the arrival centre in Zastávka. Zastávka accommodates newly arrived applicants of international protection. Since May 2018, the facility has also served as a residential centre for applicants who have passed the entry procedures, where they reside for the duration of the asylum procedure. |
| Number of centres | 2 |
| Capacity | The Václav Havel Airport Prague has a capacity of 36 beds. Zastávka has a capacity of 199 beds. Due to the short-term stay of many applicants, Zastávka is able to receive an increased number of persons applying for international protection. |
| Location of the centres within the country | Transit area of Václav Havel Airport Prague. Zastávka (South Moravian Region). |
| Name of the reception facility | Residential centres |
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| Regime | Open |
| Management | Refugee Facilities Administration or a legal entity with authorisation granted by the ministry and for a fee |
| Type of applicants accommodated | Kostelec nad Orlicí, Havířov, Zastávka and Bělá pod Bezdězem accommodate applicants who have gone through the entry procedures at the arrival centre. Zastávka accommodates newly-arrived applicants for international protection and serves as a residential centre to accommodate applicants who have passed the entry procedures. |
| Number of centres | 4 |
| Capacity | Kostelec: 277 Zastávka: 199 Havířov: 228 Bělá: 180 |
| Location of the centres within the country | Kostelec nad Orlicí (Hradec Králové Region) Havířov (Moravian-Silesian Region) Zastávka (South Moravian Region) Bělá pod Bezdězem (Central Bohemian Region) |
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All asylum accommodation centres are suitable for families with children or other vulnerable persons, so their needs and interests are taken into account. Vulnerabilities are considered when providing accommodation, with options such as protected zones or barrier-free rooms available. Special reception measures are provided to individuals as needed, e.g. persons with reduced mobility are accommodated in an appropriate asylum facility. As indicated in Section 73(8) of the Act on Asylum, “the Ministry shall ensure that applicants for international protection in asylum facilities, especially in the case of vulnerable persons, are provided with staff who have been appropriately trained.” Section 81(2) provides that, when it is determined that an applicant for international protection is vulnerable, the management of the reception facility “shall further determine whether this applicant for international protection has specific needs, determine the nature of these needs and take them into account throughout the applicant's stay in the asylum facility”.
There are no special reception centres for unaccompanied minors but there are facilities which are child-friendly and can provide support to unaccompanied minors. These facilities are outside the scope of Ministry of the Interior and are operated by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. Single women and mothers are accommodated in protected zones.
Material reception conditions are defined in Section 42 of the Asylum Act. They include accommodation, meals, basic hygiene items and pocket money.
| Type and purpose | Accommodation, food, basic hygiene items and pocket money. In addition, the Ministry of the Interior arranges psychological, health, social and other essential services and items based on the individual needs of the applicant. Reception conditions are provided in kind in almost all cases. |
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| Duration and recurrence | The provision of reception conditions begins upon the submission of an application for international protection and from the moment of arrival at the reception centre for all applicants, unless they have sufficient means to sustain themselves. Meals are provided three times a day (five times for children). In two reception centres, financial assistance is provided instead of meals. |
| Type and purpose | Daily allowance (in reception centres without catering) / pocket money (in reception centres with catering). |
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| Duration and recurrence | Pocket money is only provided for the period during which the applicant resides in an asylum facility. Pocket money is paid to the applicant in arrival centres every Wednesday; if this day falls on a non-working day, the payment will be made on the last working day immediately preceding the Wednesday. In residential centres, payment is made on the 15th day of the calendar month; if this day falls on a Saturday, Sunday or non-working day, the payment deadline is the last working day immediately preceding the 15th. In asylum facilities where no common catering is provided, the financial contribution is issued every 2 weeks. |
| Calculation and amount | The ministry stipulates by decree the amount of pocket money per calendar day, depending on the applicant's age and the payment dates for reception and accommodation centres. In general, the applicant will be provided with a pocket allowance of CZK 30 (around EUR 1.19) per calendar day. If the asylum facility does not provide food, the applicant receives financial assistance corresponding to the minimum living standard for the applicant and any dependent persons. During the provision of financial assistance, the applicant will not be entitled to pocket money. If the applicant’s health requires increased costs for a special diet, as recommended by a specialist physician, financial assistance will be increased by the amount corresponding to the increased livelihood amount under special legislation for the special diet. If an applicant over 18 years of age is accommodated in a reception centre and carries out activities that benefit other applicants and contribute to the smooth operation of the asylum facility and improved mutual interaction, they may receive increased pocket money. Such activities, based on an assignment from the head of the asylum facility, can be carried out up to a maximum of 30 hours a month. The ministry determines the amount of pocket money and increased pocket money per hour of activity by decree. If the applicant stays in a residential centre, they receive financial support to cover their essential needs. If they stay in a centre where food is provided in a canteen, they receive CZK 30/day as pocket money. If they stay in a reception centre without a canteen, they receive CZK 4,860/month (calculated based on the minimum subsistence level). This amount may vary depending on factors such as the number of persons in the family. The exact amount is displayed on the information billboards at the facility. This money is provided to cover the applicant’s needs, including food. |
| Applicants granted allowance | All applicants with their registered address at an asylum facility. |
| Modalities of provision | Applicants are provided with cash only. |
Officials from the Refugee Facilities Administration assess vulnerability based on identification indicators, such as the applicant’s personal data and medical history. The Refugee Facilities Administration, in cooperation with officials from the Ministry of the Interior, determine the applicant’s vulnerability and adopt reception conditions and asylum procedures accordingly.
Staff in accommodation centres are legally obliged to identify and address any special reception needs. These individual special needs are assessed by trained staff in each case. For applicants who are considered to be vulnerable, the operator further assesses whether the applicant has any special needs, identifies the nature of these needs and ensures that they are taken into account during the applicant’s stay in the asylum facility.
Services are tailored to meet the specific needs of applicants, including psychological and legal support, medical care, contact with NGOs addressing particular issues, personal assistance, interpretation, and more. For example, applicants can access services designed for survivors of trafficking in human being.
Psychological support is offered to all applicants. However, when the vulnerability is identified, trained personnel may direct the applicant to targeted services (psychosocial support, tailored medical assistance, etc.)
| Modalities of information provision on benefits and obligations related to reception conditions | For applicants for international protection, the Ministry of the Interior prepared a leaflet with information on the procedure for granting international protection and life in Czechia. The publication is available in Czech, English, Arabic, Ukrainian, Russian and French. Written information on rights and obligations is offered in approximately 30 languages. The applicant is provided with information on how to access accommodation and other material reception conditions immediately after arrival to the asylum facility. Information on the legal status of the person is given at the time arriving at a border-crossing point. More information on reception conditions is provided after arrival to the asylum facility. Information is available on the websites of the Department for Asylum and Migration Policy, the Refugee Facilities Administration (SUZ) and the Centres for Support of Integration of Foreigners (CPIC). Information is also provided by NGOs, e.g. the Organisation for Aid to Refugees (OPU). The house rules are published in a language that the majority of accommodated persons are able to understand and displayed in a publicly accessible place. If a foreign national is unable to understand the language in which the house rules have been issued, the operator ensures that the foreign national is informed in an alternative manner. |
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| Provision of legal assistance on the reception conditions available | The general administrative procedures are applied (Act on Administrative Procedure and Administrative Court Procedure Act). There is a possibility to lodge a legal complaint with a court through a free of charge legal counselling provided by private counselling firm and NGOs or Caritas (Consortium of Migrants Assisting Organizations, Diocesan Caritas Hradec Králové). |
| House rules | According to Section 48a of the Asylum Act, an applicant for international protection is obliged:
In addition, a person accommodated in a arrival or residence centre may not bring into the centre, or produce, store and consume alcohol and other addictive substances, or produce and store things that could be used to endanger the safety of persons and property or that would due to their quantity or nature, they could disturb order or harm health (Section 81a(1) of the Asylum Act). |
| Assignment of a particular area of residence to applicants | Applicants in general can freely move within the territory of Czechia. Except for applicants in the arrival centre in the transit area at the airport, but formally they are not ‘on the territory’. |
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| Reporting obligations | An applicant for international protection is obliged to notify the ministry in writing of leaving the residence centre for more than 24 hours. In the notification, the applicant for international protection must provide the address where they will be staying and the length of stay outside the residence centre. An applicant for international protection is required to notify the ministry in writing of any departure from the residence centre for a period exceeding 3 days, at least 24 hours before leaving the residence centre. Upon request, the ministry may permit leaving the residence centre for a period longer than 15 consecutive days, if this does not prevent the proper implementation of the asylum procedure and if the applicant for international protection has submitted proof of accommodation. |
| Time limit to access the labour market | Applicants for protection can access the labour market 6 months after lodging an application. They are issued a valid employment permit by a regional branch of the Labour Office of the Czech Republic without the labour market test. |
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| Criteria to access the labour market | Czechia does not apply the labour market test. |
| Employment support for applicants | NGOs and integration centres can provide employment support to applicants. |
| Adults’ access to vocational training | Specific legislation does not exist to regulate applicant’s access to vocational training. |
| Access to tertiary education | Pursuant to Act No 561/2004 Sb, applicants have full access to education under the same conditions as Czech/EU citizens. |
| Medical screening | All applicants undergo a medical screening (general check, blood test, lung X-ray) by a medical professional in the first days after their arrival to the arrival centre. Psychologists are also available if necessary. |
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| Level of healthcare | Healthcare is provided free of charge to all applicants, according to the Public Health Assurance Act. The same provisions are applied as for citizens of Czechia. Health insurance is paid by the state. Arrival and residence centres cooperate with several NGOs to provide healthcare to applicants who reside there. Hospitals are obliged to provide the healthcare to all people, including asylum seekers. |
| Access to healthcare | Access to healthcare for applicants for international protection accommodated in reception centres is the same as for citizens of Czechia. All applicants are covered by the national insurance scheme, irrespective of being employed or not. |
Education for applicants for international protection is integrated within the state education system. There is no separate education system within accommodation centres; instead, children attend mainstream schools that are part of the state education infrastructure. However, preparatory classes may be provided to help foreign children integrate into the regular school system, particularly to support their knowledge of the Czech language.
A specific time limit to enrol children in education is not mentioned in the Asylum Act. However, the recast Reception Conditions Directive sets a limit of 90 days to access education. The Schooling Act in Czechia follows a similar rule. Moreover, the New Migration Pact proposes a 60-day limit to access education for applicants for international protection.
Applicants for international protection have access to education under the terms and conditions stipulated by the Education Act. This includes access to pre-school education, basic artistic education and school services on the same basis as Czech citizens.
Coordination of the Policy for the Integration of Foreign Nationals falls under the Ministry of the Interior, while the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports is responsible for coordinating the integration of children into schools. The integration process is supported by an annually-updated Procedure for the Implementation of the Updated Policy for the Integration of Foreign Nationals.
To support the inclusion of foreign children, especially in terms of learning the Czech language, legislation provides specific measures, including the teaching of Czech in nursery and basic education. School attendance is compulsory for applicants until the end of the school year in which they reach the age of 17.
Additional support for school attendance and language training is available, particularly for unaccompanied minors, with NGOs also providing assistance. More detailed information is available on the Eurydice page for Czechia.
| Access to socio-cultural orientation | Czechia has a state integration programme aimed at helping refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection integrate into the society. The state integration programme mainly includes individual support aimed at ensuring full economic self-sufficiency, housing, education, health and social care, orientation in society and the creation of prerequisites for acquiring knowledge of the Czech language. Personnel in the reception centres provides socio-cultural support based on the individual needs of each applicant. |
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| Language classes | Voluntary Czech language lessons (open courses) are provided to applicants in all reception centres. These are designed as low-threshold language courses and therefore are accessible for any applicant at any stage of the stay. The state integration programme in the area of acquiring knowledge of the Czech language is implemented by the Ministry in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports in the form of a free language course. |
Applicants can live in a centre or outside of the reception system. Applicants who choose to stay outside of the accommodation centre cover their own costs except healthcare. Nevertheless, placement in an accommodation centre is guaranteed for all applicants.
Legislation does not allow assets to be seized to contribute to the costs of material reception conditions. People with sufficient means (funds that exceed the minimum standard of living) may be charged for accommodation and asked to cover food costs if they stay at the reception facility managed by the Refugee Facilities Administration. The minimum subsistence level is regulated by law.
All applicants fill in a form where their means are clearly indicated. The threshold for sufficient means equals the amount of the living wage, as specified by law.
An applicant’s entitlement to reception ends when their application for international protection is either:
- Rejected after a final decision (the applicant is then required to leave the country);
- The applicant withdraws the application or abandons the procedure;
- The applicant is granted asylum or subsidiary protection, at which point they transition to an integration phase;
- The applicant is granted residence for reasons other than protection (e.g. family reunification).
The Department for Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of the Interior decides on sanctions by issuing a formal decision to reduce the allowance. Financial assistance can be reduced by one-third, down to an amount equal to the subsistence minimum for a period of 1 month (CZK 3,130/EUR 124). Housing and other material reception conditions are still provided.
If an applicant breaches the house rules in a facility, they can be fined up to CZK 2,000 (about EUR 74).
However, the Asylum Act bans the use of both types of sanctions for the same individual: authorities either impose a fine or reduce the financial allowance.
A serious breach of the rules of the facility includes when the applicant endangers the life or health of people; possesses or consumes alcohol or other addictive substance; possesses items that could be used to endanger the safety of people or property; repeatedly breaches smoking bans; or persistently fails to observe the principles of hygiene.
A worker is designated by the reception facility operator to prevent an applicant from entering or remove them from the facility if the applicant is under the influence of alcohol or other addictive substances, or the person is a threat to him/herself or to others, to the property, public order or had already caused harm. In these cases, the applicant is removed from the centre and further steps are taken, such as bringing the applicant to a sobering centre. When intoxication is manageable and it is not necessary to prevent the applicant from entering the premises, another procedure may be applied, for example the applicant is placed in a separate room.
It is possible to lodge an appeal according to Section 152 of the Administrative Procedure Code, which does not have a suspensive effect. An appeal to the Administrative Court of first instance may be lodged as a last instance.