Czech government approves so-called ‘security amendment’

On 25 May the Czech government approved a set of legislative measures known as the ‘security amendment’. The proposal, prepared by the Ministry of the Interior in cooperation with other ministries, responds to the current security situation and strengthens the state's tools in the areas of migration, residence of foreigners and protection of public order. 

The amendment introduces changes to a total of seven laws, including those in the areas of asylum procedures, residence of foreigners, temporary protection and criminal law. The aim of the measure is to strengthen the enforcement of rules, limit abuse of the system and ensure more effective state control mechanisms.

The amendment tightens the penalties for organising illegal crossing of the state border and other crimes related to illegal migration. In addition, it modifies some processes in the area of ​​asylum and residence procedures with the aim of increasing their efficiency and strengthening security elements. Significant changes include, for example, the concentration of judicial review of security cases in one specialized court.

It also enables more consistent control of compliance with legal conditions related to temporary protection. Temporary protection will now expire, for example, if its holder does not stay in the Czech Republic for more than 30 days or commits a serious crime. Stricter rules will also apply to obtaining special long-term residence, including absence of tax arrears and a more thorough assessment of security risks.

The amendment also enables the authorities to have better control over who, among temporary protection holders, meets the conditions to receive humanitarian benefits. This aims to address cases of organized abuse of the system and so-called benefit tourism. 

The changes will also affect the registration of vehicles with Ukrainian license plates. The proposal gradually introduces the same conditions that apply to vehicles registered in the Czech Republic, including mandatory technical inspections and registration in the standard vehicle register.New arrivals who receive temporary protection will have to fulfill this obligation within six months. From 2028, it will then be impossible to operate vehicles that are not registered in the standard vehicle register.

A total of seven ministries participated in the preparation of the amendment. In addition to the Ministry of the Interior, which is the proposer of the proposal, also the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Finance.